Systems and methods for reducing cognitive workload and energy consumption of sensors on vehicles

Abstract

Systems and methods for imaging and ranging sensors that sense objects around a vehicle are provided. In one example, a light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor including a plurality of microelectromechanical (MEMS) mirrors is operable such that a functional field of view of the lidar sensor is adjusted by varying a number of MEMS mirrors that are operated to scan an external environment around the vehicle. For example, one or more mirrors can be turned on or off depending on an expected vehicle path. In some examples, when all of the MEMS mirrors are operated, overall processing of data can be reduced by using data acquired from the number of mirrors that scan the desired field of view.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates in general to sensors for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and / or autonomous systems in vehicles, and more specifically to sensors for sensing the environment around a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] This disclosure relates in general to sensors for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and / or autonomous systems in vehicles, and more specifically to sensors for sensing the environment around a vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology uses time-of-flight measurements of light to measure distances to objects. For example, a LiDAR-based sensor system illuminates an object with light from a light source (e.g., a laser), detects reflected light from the object, and measures the time elapsed between the transmission of the light and the detection of the reflected light to calculate the distance to the object. LiDAR sensors are deployed in automotive systems to sense the environment around the vehicle and can be used in conjunction with camera-based vision and radar-based sensors to provide driver assistance and / or enable various levels of automation.

[0004] A lidar sensor system for detecting objects at long distances includes a scanning mechanism for scanning a field of view. The lidar sensor system includes a deflector unit that deflects a collimated beam from a source toward the object to illuminate a small area of ​​the object, and a detector (e.g., a photodiode) senses reflected light from this small area. The collimated beam is then moved (e.g., in a predetermined pattern) to scan the field of view, and the detected reflections can be used to generate a depth map of the vehicle environment.

[0005] An exemplary scanning mechanism includes multiple microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirrors operated by a MEMS mirror driver ASIC, which senses, actuates, and controls the movement of the MEMS mirrors. In the light receiving path, photodiodes, receiver circuitry, and a hardware-accelerated signal processing unit are implemented to receive light reflected from an object and process sensor data.

[0006] MEMS mirrors have a limited field of view (e.g., acute angle), so a larger MEMS mirror array can be used to scan a wider field of view to extend the field of view. This increases the power consumption of the lidar system. Furthermore, calculating a robust depth map (e.g., a 3D point cloud) from raw sensor data can require significant computational and power resources (e.g., for signal processing performed by hardware acceleration units). The high power consumption of various components of the lidar system (e.g., drive mechanism, sensing mechanism, and processing mechanism) can impact the operating range of a vehicle that relies entirely or partially on an electric propulsion system.

[0007] In addition to or as an alternative to the aforementioned scanning lidar systems, some vehicle systems may employ one or more non-scanning lidar systems, such as flash lidar systems. In these systems, a single large-area laser pulse illuminates the environment in front of the system, and the reflected light is captured by a photodetector. However, flash lidar systems require high peak laser power to illuminate a large area. The power requirements increase further when multiple flash lidar systems are used to increase the overall field of view.

[0008] The inventors have recognized the problems mentioned above and have further recognized that, during certain vehicle operating conditions, operating multiple MEMS mirrors that scan the environment unrelated to the vehicle's intended driving consumes valuable resources (e.g., computing resources and power) when scanning, sensing, and processing objects outside the path. Similarly, when employing multiple flash lidar systems, one or more flash lidars may scan areas in the vehicle environment unrelated to the vehicle's intended path, thereby increasing resource consumption.

[0009] The inventors have developed systems and methods that at least partially solve the aforementioned problems. In one example, a method for a vehicle may include: adjusting the field of view of a lidar sensor mounted on the vehicle by adjusting the number of electrically operated MEMS mirrors; wherein the field of view is adjusted according to one or more of the vehicle speed and the expected vehicle path.

[0010] For example, when the vehicle speed is below a threshold speed, a narrower field of view can be used to scan the environment by using a smaller number of MEMS mirrors to illuminate objects in the environment. However, when the vehicle speed is above the threshold speed, a wider field of view can be used to scan by using a larger number of MEMS mirrors to ensure that the sensors have sufficient reaction time to detect objects entering the vehicle's path. Similarly, when the vehicle's expected path (e.g., based on the steering wheel angle and / or information from the vehicle's navigation system) indicates a curved path, some of the MEMS mirrors configured to scan the environment that are neither in nor around the expected vehicle path (e.g., in a region opposite to the vehicle's expected turning direction) may not be powered.

[0011] In another example, when using multiple flash lidar systems, one or more lidar systems that scan the environment outside the expected vehicle path and / or outside the threshold area around the expected vehicle path may not be operated (in a multi-lidar system).

[0012] In this way, the sensor components are adapted to sense, process, and act upon the relevant environment around the vehicle based on the expected motion or its path. This optimizes the power consumed by the sensor to sense and process the area associated with the vehicle's expected path. For example, the total electrical power consumed by the lidar sensor system can be reduced by decreasing the number of MEMS mirrors used to scan the environment and / or reducing the number of operated lidar units. Furthermore, the cognitive workload regarding ASIC driver processing (in the light emitter path) and signal processing (in the receiver path) can be reduced.

[0013] The advantages and other advantages and features described herein will become readily apparent from the following detailed description, either alone or in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0014] It should be understood that the above description is provided to introduce a series of concepts further described in the detailed embodiments in a simplified form. This is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is uniquely defined by the claims following the detailed embodiments. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to solutions to any of the disadvantages described above or in any part of this disclosure. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1A A perspective view of an exemplary vehicle including one or more sensor systems according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0016] Figure 1B An exemplary in-vehicle computing system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0017] Figure 2A An exemplary optical detection and ranging (LiDAR) system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0018] Figure 2B One or more embodiments according to this disclosure are shown. Figure 2A An implementation scheme for a lidar system;

[0019] Figure 3 A high-level flowchart of an exemplary method for operating one or more sensor systems according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown, the one or more sensor systems being used to evaluate the external environment of a vehicle;

[0020] Figure 4A A high-level flowchart of an exemplary method for adjusting the operation of one or more lidar sensor systems according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0021] Figure 4B A high-level flowchart of an exemplary method for determining the functional field of view of a lidar system according to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure is shown;

[0022] Figure 5 An exemplary table is shown illustrating various adjustments to the functional field of view of a lidar system during vehicle operation according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure; and

[0023] Figures 6A to 6C Exemplary adjustments to the functional field of view of a lidar system based on one or more of vehicle speed and expected vehicle path according to one or more embodiments of this disclosure are illustrated. Detailed Implementation

[0024] This disclosure relates to adjusting the operation of one or more sensors, such as imaging and ranging sensors that can be used to detect and / or identify objects in the environment surrounding a vehicle. For example, vehicle systems (such as...) Figure 1A (as shown) may include an onboard computing system (such as Figure 1B (As shown in more detail below) and communicatively coupled to an onboard computing system for evaluating the vehicle's external environment. The onboard computing system, in cooperation with a corresponding processor of the one or more sensor systems, and using indications from the one or more sensors evaluating vehicle operation (e.g., vehicle speed, steering angle, etc.), can adjust the operation of the one or more sensors, such as... Figure 3 As shown. One or more sensors can be configured as lidar sensors (such as...) Figure 2A The lidar sensor shown may include one or more deflectors for projecting light into the vehicle's external environment to illuminate objects within the lidar sensor's field of view. The lidar sensor then receives reflected light from the objects and uses the reflected light to assess the vehicle's external operating environment. Some lidar sensors may include multiple MEMS mirrors as deflectors for scanning within the field of view, such as... Figure 2B As shown. During vehicle operation, according to Figure 4A and Figure 4B The method described above can increase or decrease the functional field of view of a lidar sensor by adjusting the number of deflector units or MEMS mirrors being operated, thereby improving energy consumption and computational workload. Figure 5 The diagram illustrates non-limiting examples of various functional field-of-view adjustments and corresponding deflector unit or MEMS mirror adjustments for achieving the desired functional field of view. Figures 6A to 6C This demonstrates functional field-of-view adjustments that can be performed based on vehicle speed and / or the expected vehicle path. For example, during certain operating conditions (such as at low vehicle speeds and / or when the curvature of the calculated vehicle path exceeds a threshold curvature), one or more deflector units or MEMS mirrors scanning the environment outside the path can be deactivated to reduce the power consumption of the sensor system. Consequently, the amount of data acquired by the sensor system is reduced, which decreases the computational workload of the associated processors.

[0025] In this way, improved power savings can be achieved by reducing the number of sensor subunits that acquire redundant and / or out-of-path information during certain vehicle operating conditions. Therefore, power management and computational workload management can be improved.

[0026] Figure 1 illustrates an exemplary vehicle 100 including multiple sensor systems 120-127, which may be part of one or more advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) associated with the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the multiple sensor systems 120-127 may be used in conjunction with other systems of the vehicle 100 to provide various levels of driving autonomy.

[0027] Vehicle 100 includes a front portion 102, a rear portion 104, at least one side portion 108, and a passenger compartment 110. In one example, as shown, vehicle 100 may be a motor vehicle including drive wheels 112 and a propulsion system. The propulsion system may be controlled at least in part by an onboard computing system 109 including a controller and by input from a vehicle operator via an input device (e.g., an accelerator pedal). Vehicle 100 may be a road vehicle, as well as other types of vehicles. In some examples, vehicle 100 may include a hybrid propulsion system having multiple torque sources available to the wheels 112. The hybrid propulsion system may include an energy conversion device operable to absorb energy from vehicle motion and / or an engine and convert the absorbed energy into an energy form suitable for storage by an energy storage device. In some examples, vehicle 100 may be an all-electric vehicle including a fuel cell, solar capture elements, and / or other energy storage systems for powering the vehicle.

[0028] Multiple sensor systems 120-127 may be configured to identify and / or detect vehicle paths ahead of vehicle 100, as well as objects near vehicle 100 such as cars, pedestrians, obstacles, road signs, traffic signs, traffic lights, potholes, speed bumps, etc. Multiple sensor systems 120-127 may be radar sensors, photoradar sensors, lidar sensors, ultrasonic sensors, machine vision cameras, and position and motion sensors (such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, inclinometers, and / or other sensors) or any combination thereof.

[0029] In one embodiment, the first sensor system 120 and / or the second sensor system 127 of the plurality of sensor systems 120-127 may be configured as a ranging and imaging sensor system (e.g., a lidar system). In one example, the first sensor system 120 may be located at the front 102 of the vehicle, and the second sensor system 127 may be mounted on the roof 106. Furthermore, the third sensor system 121, the fourth sensor system 122, the fifth sensor system 123, the sixth sensor system 124, and the seventh sensor system 125 of the plurality of sensor systems 120-127 may be configured as a radio object detection and ranging sensor system (e.g., radar, radio frequency), an ultrasonic sensor system, or other object detection systems, or any combination thereof. In one example, the third sensor system 121 and the fourth sensor system 122 are located at the front 102 of the vehicle, the fifth sensor system 123 and the sixth sensor system 124 are located at the side 108 of the vehicle, and the seventh sensor system 125 is located at the rear 104 of the vehicle. Furthermore, the plurality of sensor systems may include at least one imaging sensor system 226 (e.g., a machine vision camera, infrared), which is coupled to the front of the vehicle 102 and observes the area in front of the vehicle 100. Although shown as being associated with one or more areas of the vehicle 100, it should be understood that any of the sensor systems 120-127 may be coupled to or mounted on any part of the vehicle 100 (e.g., frame, body panels, cabin, etc.).

[0030] In another embodiment, in addition to or as an alternative to the first sensor system 120 configured as a lidar system, one or more sensor systems 121-125 may be configured as a lidar system and can be used to scan and detect various objects and assess the environment in which the vehicle 100 is operating. Thus, in one example, one or more lidar systems 120-125 may be used to obtain a surround view of the environment of the vehicle 100. Exemplary lidar systems in Figure 2A and Figure 2B It is shown in the figure and described below.

[0031] In one example, when configured as a lidar system, one or more sensor systems 120-125 can provide a 360-degree field of view. For example, each of the one or more sensor systems 120-125 may include one or more lidar deflection units (also referred to as scanning units), which provide a corresponding individual field of view, such that when combined, a 360-degree scan around the vehicle 100 is possible. Furthermore, in some examples, each deflection unit may include multiple reflective surfaces or mirrors, wherein each of the multiple reflective surfaces or each of the multiple mirrors may be used to scan a secondary field of view covering a portion of the corresponding individual field of view of the deflection unit, such that the set of corresponding secondary fields of view provides the corresponding individual field of view of each deflection unit. It should be understood that, depending on the field of view of the individual deflector units and the location of the deflection units, any number of deflection units can be arranged in any manner to achieve a desired field of view (360 degrees or less) in any direction. Therefore, any number of lidar systems can be arranged in any manner to achieve a desired field of view (360 degrees or less). Exemplary locations that may accommodate a lidar system or at least a portion thereof (e.g., a deflection unit) include, but are not limited to, bumpers, grilles, fenders, side panels, spoilers, roofs, headlight assemblies, taillight assemblies, rearview mirror assemblies, hoods, trunks, or any other suitable component of vehicle 100.

[0032] As a non-limiting example, a first lidar system housed within a grille at the front 102 of the vehicle provides a 120-degree horizontal field of view, while a second and third lidar system housed within headlights on either side of the grille each provide an 80-degree horizontal field of view, which may or may not overlap with the 120-degree field of view of the first lidar system. In any case, a total horizontal field of view of 280 degrees or less around the front of the vehicle 100 can be obtained using the first, second, and third lidar systems. Similarly, one or more lidar systems can be arranged on each of the right and left side panels, and further, one or more lidar systems can be arranged at the rear 104 of the vehicle to obtain desired fields of view around the sides and rear of the vehicle 100, respectively. Furthermore, it can be noted that different vertical field of view angles can also be achieved. For example, a combination of a lidar system mounted on the top of the roof 106 and one or more lidar systems arranged around the perimeter of the vehicle 100 can be used to increase the vertical field of view.

[0033] In some examples, such as Figure 1A As shown, the lidar system 100 may include a single sensor system 127, which includes one or more deflection units mounted on the roof 106 of the vehicle. The sensor system 127 can be used to scan around the vehicle 100 at an angle of 360 degrees or less.

[0034] Multiple sensor systems 120-127 are operably connected to and communicate with an on-board computing system 109 via an in-vehicle communication system (such as a CAN bus), which can be used to transmit and receive information between individual components of the multiple sensor systems. The on-board computing system 109 is operably connected to and controls one or more actuators (e.g., the powertrain 116 of a corresponding vehicle) to influence the movement of the vehicle 100 via drive wheels 112 that may be in contact with the road surface. In some examples, as follows... Figure 1B As discussed herein, the on-board computing system 109 can communicate with a vehicle control system that can be operatively connected to one or more actuators (such as actuators for steering control, braking control, powertrain control, etc.) and can adjust vehicle operation via said one or more actuators.

[0035] Figure 1B A block diagram of an on-board computing system 109 configured and / or integrated within a vehicle 100 is shown. The on-board computing system 109 may perform one or more of the methods described herein in some embodiments.

[0036] The in-vehicle computing system 109 may include one or more processors, including an operating system processor 154 and an interface processor 160. The operating system processor 154 can execute the operating system on the in-vehicle computing system and control the input / output and other operations of the in-vehicle computing system. The interface processor 160 can interface with the vehicle control system 190 via an inter-vehicle system communication module 162.

[0037] The inter-vehicle system communication module 162 can output data to other vehicle systems and vehicle control elements 196, and also receive data input from other vehicle components and systems 196, for example, via the vehicle control system 190. When outputting data, the inter-vehicle system communication module 162 can provide signals via a bus corresponding to any state of the vehicle, the vehicle's surrounding environment, or the output of any other information source connected to the vehicle. Vehicle data outputs may include, for example, analog signals (such as current speed), digital signals provided by individual information sources (such as clocks, thermometers, position sensors (such as GPS sensors, etc.), and digital signals propagated through vehicle data networks (such as the engine CAN bus through which engine-related information can be transmitted, the climate control CAN bus through which climate control-related information can be transmitted, and the multimedia data network through which multimedia data can be transmitted between multimedia components in the vehicle). For example, the on-board computing system 109 can retrieve from the engine CAN bus the vehicle's current speed estimated by wheel sensors, the vehicle's electrical state realized via the vehicle's battery and / or power distribution system, the vehicle's ignition state, the steering angle sensed by the steering angle sensor, etc. In addition, other interface devices such as Ethernet may be used without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0038] The in-vehicle computing system 109 may include a non-volatile storage device 168 to store data, such as instructions executable by processors 154 and 160, in a non-volatile form. Storage device 168 may store application data, including pre-recorded audio elements, to enable the in-vehicle computing system 109 to run applications to connect to a cloud-based server and / or collect information for transmission to the cloud-based server. Applications may retrieve information collected from vehicle systems / sensors, input devices (e.g., user interface 178), data stored in volatile storage device 157A, or non-volatile storage device (e.g., memory) 157B. The in-vehicle computing system 109 may also include volatile memory 157A. Volatile memory 157A may be random access memory (RAM). Non-transitory storage devices (such as non-volatile storage device 168 and / or non-volatile memory 157B) may store instructions and / or code that, when executed by a processor (e.g., operating system processor 154 and / or interface processor 160), control the on-board computing system 109 to perform one or more of the actions described in this disclosure.

[0039] The sensor subsystem 151 of the in-vehicle computing system or 109 may include one or more additional sensors. For example, the sensor subsystem 151 may include cameras, such as a rearview camera for assisting a user in parking the vehicle and / or a cabin camera for recognizing a user (e.g., using facial recognition and / or user gestures). The sensor subsystem 151 may also include multiple sensors, such as multiple sensors 120-127 (discussed in FIG. 1), for acquiring information about the vehicle's external environment. Thus, the sensor subsystem 151 may include one or more lidar sensor systems, radar sensor systems, and ultrasonic sensor systems and / or any combination thereof. The functional field of view of one or more of the multiple sensors may be adjusted to reduce power consumption and / or computational workload, as further discussed herein. In short, the functional field of view may be adjusted based on one or more of the following: a vehicle speed indication from a vehicle speed sensor and a expected vehicle path obtained based on indications from a steering angle sensor (e.g., an indication of the vehicle's expected turning radius, and therefore an indication of the curvature of the expected vehicle path), one or more cameras, and the navigation subsystem 153.

[0040] The sensor subsystem 151 of the vehicle computing system 109 can communicate with and receive input from various vehicle sensors and can further receive user input. For example, input received by the sensor subsystem 151 may include transmission gear position, transmission clutch position, accelerator pedal input, brake input, transmission selector position, vehicle speed, steering angle, engine speed, etc. While some vehicle system sensors can communicate with the sensor subsystem 151 individually, other sensors can communicate with both the sensor subsystem 151 and the vehicle control system 190, or indirectly with the sensor subsystem 151 via the vehicle control system 190. The navigation subsystem 153 of the vehicle computing system 109 can generate and / or receive navigation information, such as location information (e.g., via GPS sensors and / or other sensors from the sensor subsystem 151), route guidance, traffic information, point-of-interest (POI) identification, and / or provide other navigation services to the driver.

[0041] The vehicle control system 190 may include controls (e.g., sensors and / or actuators) for controlling aspects of various vehicle systems (e.g., powertrain, braking, steering, etc.) involving different onboard functions. For example, the vehicle controller 196 may include powertrain controls 191, braking controls 192, and steering controls 193 for adjusting the latitude and / or longitude control of the vehicle. As a non-limiting example, the vehicle control system 190 may perform one or more control actions via one or more vehicle actuators (e.g., brake actuators, throttle actuators, powertrain actuators, and / or steering actuators) to adjust the longitudinal and / or lateral control of the vehicle 100. One or more control actions may be performed in response to one or more inputs, including but not limited to vehicle operator inputs (e.g., steering torque, steering angle, brake pedal position, accelerator position, gear position, etc.), inputs from sensor subsystem 151, inputs from navigation subsystem 153, inputs from inertial measurement unit 195, and / or inputs from one or more dynamic vehicle sensors 194.

[0042] As a non-limiting example, the vehicle control system 190 (e.g., via a processor executing instructions stored in a non-transitory memory) may combine information received from the sensor subsystem 151 and data received from the navigation subsystem 153, and may be configured to determine vehicle control actions in response thereto. For example, the vehicle control system 190 (e.g., via a processor) may output instructions to brake control 192 (included in the braking system of vehicle 100) and / or powertrain control 191 (included in the powertrain of vehicle 100) to adjust the longitudinal movement of the vehicle.

[0043] The dynamic vehicle sensor 194 may include one or more sensors within the vehicle, such as engine parameter sensors, battery parameter sensors, vehicle parameter sensors, fuel system parameter sensors, and environmental condition sensors. Furthermore, the vehicle sensor 194 may include, but is not limited to, vehicle speed sensors, wheel speed sensors, and steering angle sensors within the vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle sensor can output data related to vehicle operating parameters, which may include, but are not limited to, vehicle speed and steering angle.

[0044] The inertial measurement unit 195 may include one or more accelerometers and one or more gyroscopes and / or other measurement units (e.g., magnetometers). The IMU 195 can measure and output vehicle motion data, such as speed, acceleration, rate, etc. The IMU 195 can detect one or more orientation parameters of the vehicle (such as the vehicle's orientation (e.g., heading, yaw, pitch, and roll) and pitch angle) and changes in said one or more orientation parameters. For example, yaw rate, steering angle, and / or heading changes can be derived from the orientation parameters detected by the IMU and their changes. The detected changes in the vehicle's motion and orientation parameters can be used to determine whether the vehicle has initiated maneuvers and thus determine the expected vehicle path. In some examples, the IMU 195 may be integrated with the navigation subsystem 153 or other vehicle tracking systems.

[0045] The onboard computing system 109 may also include an antenna 136. Antenna 136 is shown as a single antenna, but in some embodiments it may include one or more antennas. In one example, antenna 136 may include a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver that can communicate with a navigation satellite system (e.g., Global Positioning System) to determine the latitude and longitude of the vehicle's position at any given time. In some examples, data received via the antenna may be used to combine with data from sensor subsystem 151 and IMU 195 to generate a high-resolution (HD) map.

[0046] Users can control one or more components of the in-vehicle computing system 109 via user interface 178. User interface 178 may include a graphical user interface displayed on a touchscreen, and / or user-actuated buttons, switches, knobs, dials, sliders, etc. In one example, user interface 178 may include display screen 111 for visually alerting the operator to sensor blockage, sensor unavailability, etc.

[0047] As mentioned above, the onboard computing system 109 is communicatively and operatively connected to one or more sensors of the sensor subsystem 151, wherein the one or more sensors acquire information about the external environment of the vehicle 100. In one example, the one or more sensors include a lidar sensor system. During vehicle operation, the field of view of the lidar system can be as follows: Figure 2A and Figure 2B The exemplary lidar system discussed herein. Figure 3 , Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5 , Figure 6A , Figure 6B and Figure 6C An exemplary field of view adjustment is described in the document.

[0048] Go to Figure 2AAn exemplary lidar system 200 is illustrated, comprising an illumination unit 202, a scanning unit 212, a receiving unit 222, a processing unit 240, and a power supply unit 230 disposed within a housing 210. The illumination unit 202 includes at least one light source 204, which may be a laser device that emits light with a specific operating wavelength in the infrared, visible, or ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. As a non-limiting example, the light source 204 may be a laser diode with an operating wavelength between approximately 870 nm and 920 nm. It should be understood that other types of light sources may be used. For example, the light source 204 may be configured to emit light of longer or shorter wavelengths, and is within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, the light source 204 may emit an output beam 205, which may be continuous wave, pulsed, or modulated in any suitable manner. For example, one or more parameters (e.g., format, pulse width, wavelength, frequency, etc.) of the light output 205 from the light source 204 may be adjusted according to instructions stored in a memory 242 of the processing unit 240.

[0049] In some implementations, multiple light sources with the same operating wavelength can be used, and in such cases, each light source can be used to scan different areas of the field of view. In some other implementations, the multiple light sources may have different operating wavelengths, and thus the multiple light sources can be used to scan the same or overlapping areas of the field of view.

[0050] The illumination unit 202 may also include an emitting optics 206, which can be used to manipulate (e.g., collimate) the light beam 205 emitted by the light source 204. In one example, the emitting optics 206 may include one or more collimating lenses to reduce the divergence of the light beam 205 and can generate a collimated light beam 208. When multiple light sources are used, one or more collimating lenses may be used to generate a corresponding collimated light beam from each light source.

[0051] Scanning unit 212 includes deflector 214 (also referred to herein as a deflection unit), which acts as a steering element for guiding beam 208 originating from light source 204 to scan one or more objects within the field of view 250 of lidar system 200. The field of view 250 of lidar system 200 is the span of area that lidar system 200 can scan, and is based at least on the scanning characteristics of deflector 214. The scanning characteristics of deflector 214 may include scan angular range (also referred to herein as scan field of view or simply field of view), scan frequency, and angular resolution. Figure 2AIn the example shown, the field of view 250 of the lidar may be the scanning field of view of the deflector 214, and includes a horizontal field of view 270 and a vertical field of view 260. The deflector 214 may be operated by a software-based driver 217 to scan the field of view 250 in a pattern (e.g., a grating pattern, a Lissajous pattern, or other pattern). In one example, the deflector 214 may be actuated and controlled by a software-based driver 217, which may be, for example, an ASIC driver, receiving instructions from the processing unit 240 based on executable instructions in memory 242 and signals from one or more sensors of vehicle 100.

[0052] Figure 2A An outgoing beam 218, guided by deflector 214 through optical window 220 toward field of view 250, is shown. When the outgoing beam 218 reaches an object within field of view 250, the object may scatter or reflect at least a portion of the outgoing beam 218. This portion of the outgoing beam 218 may return to lidar system 200 via optical window 220. The portion of the outgoing beam 218 that is reflected or scattered and returns to lidar system 200 is indicated by incident beam 248 (dashed arrow).

[0053] In one example, deflector 214, in addition to guiding the outgoing beam 218 toward the field of view 250, can also receive the incident beam 248 from an object within the field of view 250 and guide it toward the receiving unit 222. The receiving unit 222 includes a sensing unit 226 for sensing the incident light (i.e., reflected or scattered light) from the object. The receiving unit 222 may further include receiving optics 224 for guiding the incident light to the sensing unit 226. The information about the object from the sensing unit 226 is then processed by the processing unit 240. The exemplary deflector 214 for guiding the beam toward the field of view 250 and guiding the light received from the object to the sensing unit 226 can be an asymmetric deflector. An example of an asymmetric deflector can be any of a polarization beam splitter, an optical isolator, etc. Deflector 214 may include other types of mirrors, prisms, controllable lenses, mechanical mirrors, mechanically scanned polygons, active diffraction elements (e.g., controllable LCDs), Risley prisms, non-mechanical electronic beam guides, polarization gratings, optical phased arrays (OPA), or any other suitable light steering element.

[0054] In some implementations, the scanning unit 212 may include a second deflector (not shown) for receiving light reflected from an object within the field of view 250 and directing the light reflected from the object toward the receiving unit 222.

[0055] In some embodiments, scanning unit 212 may include one or more mirrors as deflectors 214, each mirror being mechanically driven by a galvanometer scanner, a resonant scanner, a voice coil motor, or any suitable combination thereof. The galvanometer scanner may include a galvanometer-based scanning motor having a magnet and a coil. When current is supplied to the coil, a rotational force is applied to the magnet, causing the mirror attached to the galvanometer scanner to rotate. The current supplied to the coil can be controlled to dynamically change the position of the galvanometer mirror. The resonant may include a spring-like mechanism driven by an actuator to produce periodic oscillations at a substantially fixed frequency (e.g., 1 kHz). The voice coil motor may include a magnet and a coil. When current is supplied to the coil, a translational force is applied to the magnet, causing the mirror attached to the magnet to move or rotate. In some embodiments, deflector 214 may be driven using an electromechanical scanner utilizing an electric motor with a mechanical stage for scanning horizontal and vertical fields of view. In some implementations, the scanning unit 212 may be configured as an optical phased array (OPA), wherein the OPA may employ any type of phase modulator such as liquid crystal, silicon photonics, and MEMS-based modulators.

[0056] In one embodiment, a microelectromechanical (MEMS) mirror can be used as a deflector 214 to deflect light from source 202 to field of view 250. The MEMS mirror can be, for example, a single-axis MEMS scanner or a dual-axis MEMS scanner. The MEMS mirror can be operated by a MEMS driver ASIC that actuates, controls, and senses MEMS mirror oscillations. The MEMS driver ASIC can use an actuation mechanism, which can be, for example, an electrostatic, electromagnetic, or piezoelectric actuation mechanism. Thus, in one example, an electrostatic comb actuator can be used for MEMS mirror scanning, where an electrostatic force is generated via a comb-driven structure for deflecting the mirror (e.g., by applying a high voltage to the comb-driven structure). In another example, the MEMS mirror assembly can include a reflector suspended via a torsion spring on a frame (e.g., a gimbal), the frame including fabricated electric coils, and the assembly can further include a magnet that induces a fixed magnetic field on the assembly. In this case, electromagnetic actuation is provided by applying a current to the electric coil, which generates a magnetic torque on the frame. In another example, a dual-axis MEMS mirror can be actuated using a movable magnet configuration. The actual mirror deflection angles of the MEMS mirror in both directions can be measured by Hall sensors placed beneath the mirror. In yet another example, actuation of the MEMS mirror can be performed using a piezoelectric actuator (e.g., a PZT ceramic actuator). When using piezoelectric actuation, additional structures such as mechanical levers, flexible beams, and mirror surfaces can be used to achieve dual-axis scanning and greater mirror displacement. Other actuation mechanisms suitable for controlling MEMS mirror scanning in automotive environments, and which are within the scope of this disclosure, can be used.

[0057] MEMS mirrors and their driver ASICs may be included in scanning unit 214. The MEMS driver ASIC can send and receive signals from processing unit 240. Processing unit 240 can synchronize the MEMS phase clock with the operation of illumination unit 202 and simultaneously with sensing unit 226 of receiving unit 222 for sensing reflected light. In one example, sensing unit 226 may include circuitry for sampling and digitizing reflected light. Digitized data from sensing unit 226 may be transferred to processing unit 240 for further signal processing (e.g., depth map generation). Therefore, processing unit 240 may include one or more hardware components, one or more hardware acceleration processing units (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FGPAs)), and / or dedicated hardware units for signal processing and point cloud generation. In one example, processing unit 240 may receive signals from one or more sensors of vehicle 100 and may send signals to one or more actuators of lidar system 200 to control the operation of lidar system 200 based on sensor signals and executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory 242 of processing unit 240. For example, the onboard computing system 109 can calculate a predicted vehicle path based on signals from one or more of the following: a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, a navigation system, and one or more cameras acquiring information about the vehicle's driving environment. Information about the predicted vehicle path, along with the sensor signals, can be sent to a processing unit 240, which can adjust the operation of the LiDAR system 200 based on executable instructions in memory 242 and the information and signals received from the onboard computing system. In some examples, the onboard computing system 109 can adjust the operation of the LiDAR system based on executable instructions stored in its memory and signals received from the vehicle speed sensor, steering angle sensor, navigation system, and one or more cameras. The following... Figure 3 , Figure 4A and Figure 4B The discussion includes exemplary routines for adjusting the operations of the lidar system 200, particularly adjusting the operations of one or more MEMS mirrors, which can be executed by the processing unit 240 or the on-board computing system 109.

[0058] Processing unit 240 is communicatively and operatively coupled to in-vehicle computing system 109 and / or vehicle control system 190. (See above reference) Figure 1A and Figure 1BThe on-board computing system 109 and the vehicle control system 190 have been described and will not be repeated hereafter. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 190 is shown receiving information from a plurality of sensors 198 (various examples of which are described herein) and sending control signals to a plurality of actuators 199 (various examples of which are described herein). As an example, the sensors 198 may include a vehicle speed sensor located on a shaft of the transmission of the vehicle 100, a steering angle sensor coupled to the steering wheel, and an IMU. The vehicle control system 190 may also receive information about the external environment from the lidar sensor system 200 and one or more other sensors (e.g., light radar, radar, lidar, ultrasonic, camera) that acquire and / or process information about the vehicle's external environment. In one example, the vehicle control system 190 may receive sensor data from the lidar sensor and / or one or more other sensors directly from the processing unit of the respective sensor via the on-board computing system 109 or any combination thereof. It should be understood that other sensors used to estimate / measure vehicle operation and / or engine operation (such as exhaust sensors, temperature sensors, fuel system pressure sensors, fuel system temperature sensors and manifold pressure sensors, additional pressure, temperature, air / fuel ratio and composition sensors located upstream of the emission control unit of vehicle 100) may be coupled to various locations within vehicle 100. Vehicle control system 190 may generate vehicle control actions and may output commands to one or more vehicle actuators to execute control actions to adjust the operation of vehicle 100 based on indications from sensor 198.

[0059] As a non-limiting example, the vehicle control system 190 may receive information about one or more objects (e.g., distance from the vehicle to the object, object type, object speed, direction of object movement, etc.) sensed by the lidar system 200 (directly from the processing unit 240 or via the on-board computing system 109), and may adjust the operation of one or more actuators of one or more subsystems of the vehicle 100 (e.g., powertrain control implemented via electronic throttle control, brake control, steering control, etc.) based on the information from the lidar system. The vehicle control system 190 may additionally or alternatively output corresponding information (e.g., a depth map generated from the lidar-sensed data) to the vehicle operator via an ADAS-operator interface.

[0060] Figure 2BAn implementation of a lidar system 200 is shown, in which multiple MEMS mirrors 216 are used to increase the field of view of the lidar system 200. Although this example shows four MEMS mirrors, any number of MEMS mirrors can be used depending on the individual and total field of view of the MEMS units. In this example, each of the multiple MEMS mirrors 216 has a separate horizontal field of view 254 and a separate vertical field of view 260. Therefore, the beam 244 from each MEMS mirror 216 is shown scanning the separate horizontal field of view 254 and vertical field of view 260.

[0061] Multiple MEMS mirrors 216 together can provide a total scanning field of view 290 including a total horizontal field of view 292. The vertical field of view 260 can be the same as a single vertical field of view. It can be noted that, for example, the vertical field of view can be increased by increasing the number of rows of MEMS mirrors or by any other related arrangement and configuration of multiple MEMS mirrors to increase the vertical field of view.

[0062] This article is in Figure 2B The example shown illustrates continuous fields of view of MEMS mirrors, wherein a first field of view of a first MEMS mirror is continuous with a second field of view of a second MEMS mirror, the second field of view is continuous with the first field of view and a third field of view of a third MEMS mirror, and the third field of view is continuous with the second field of view and a fourth field of view of a fourth MEMS mirror. It should be understood that in some examples, adjacent fields of view may have overlapping regions.

[0063] The operation of multiple MEMS mirrors can be controlled via MEMS driver 219. In one example, MEMS driver 219 can synchronously control the operation of each of the multiple MEMS mirrors 216 individually. In some examples, more than one MEMS driver can be used, where each of one or more MEMS drivers synchronously adjusts the operation of a subgroup of MEMS mirrors. Furthermore, in some other examples, each MEMS mirror can be operated by its own MEMS driver ASIC, and the operation of all MEMS mirrors and drivers can be synchronously coordinated via one of the MEMS mirror drivers and / or processing unit 240.

[0064] Back Figure 2ASensing unit 226 can receive or detect photons from incident beam 248 and generate one or more representative signals. For example, sensing unit 226 can generate an output electrical signal representing incident beam 248. The electrical signal can be sent to processing unit 240, which includes circuitry (e.g., an ASIC or FPGA) or other suitable circuitry configured to analyze one or more characteristics of the electrical signal from sensing unit 226 to determine one or more characteristics of an object in the field of view. The one or more characteristics may include the distance to lidar system 200, which can be determined by analyzing the time-of-flight or phase modulation of the beam 205 emitted by light source 204.

[0065] Sensing unit 226 includes a plurality of detection elements for detecting light reflected back from an object within field of view 250. In one example, sensor 116 may be a photodiode array such as a solid-state device or a SiPM (silicon photomultiplier) constructed from an array of avalanche diodes (e.g., APD, SPAD, or combinations thereof), configured to sense the characteristics of reflected light or reflected electromagnetic waves or photons, which can be used to measure the time of flight from a laser transmission event to a reception event and the intensity of the received light or electromagnetic waves or photons.

[0066] The lidar system 200 includes a system and processor power supply unit 230, which provides power to the illumination unit 202, scanning unit 212, receiving unit 222, and processing unit 240. The power supply unit 230 can draw power from the vehicle battery 229.

[0067] During certain vehicle operating conditions, a lidar system (which includes multiple deflectors providing a wider field of view) may scan for out-of-path objects unrelated to the vehicle's operation on the expected vehicle path. Alternatively, in some cases, multiple sensor systems may scan out-of-path regions, resulting in unnecessary redundancy in information unrelated to the vehicle's operation on the expected vehicle path. Therefore, scanning and processing out-of-path objects (i.e., the vehicle's surrounding environment that is neither in the vehicle's expected path nor within a threshold region (or area) surrounding the expected vehicle path) wastes vehicle power and computational resources. To improve resource utilization (including power and computational resource utilization), the field of view of the sensor system can be adjusted according to the expected vehicle path by operating one or more deflector units configured to scan the expected vehicle path and a threshold region (which is at least on both sides of the expected vehicle path or directly adjacent to it), and not operating the remaining deflector units that do not cover the scan of the expected vehicle path and the threshold region (disconnecting or not supplying power).

[0068] In this way, by reducing the number of deflector units used for sensing, less power and computing resources can be utilized, and overall electrical power consumption can be reduced. Therefore, the vehicle's operating range can be increased, especially for electric vehicles. Furthermore, the saved resources can be allocated to other vehicle control systems, for example, to improve transient response.

[0069] Although the embodiments described herein are for scanning lidar systems, all the details and variations discussed herein with respect to scanning lidar systems may also be implemented for other types of lidar systems (e.g., flash lidar, staring array lidar, etc.) without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Figure 3 A high-level flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 300 for adjusting the operation of one or more sensors coupled to a vehicle, wherein the one or more sensors are used to assess the vehicle's environment. Method 300 can be executed based on instructions stored in the memory of a processor, such as... Figure 1B The in-vehicle computing system 190 has a processor 154 or Figure 2B The processing unit 240, the processor of the vehicle control system 190, or any combination thereof. Although reference will be made to Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 2A and Figure 2B Method 300 is described in this document, but without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the method may be applied to other systems.

[0070] At 302, method 300 includes estimating and / or measuring vehicle operating parameters. The vehicle operating parameters may include vehicle speed, steering angle, shift indication, direction indication, and vehicle operating environment. Vehicle speed may be determined based on a vehicle speed sensor coupled to a shaft of the vehicle's transmission or a voice coil coupled to a driven or undriven wheel. Steering angle may be determined based on an indication from a steering angle sensor coupled to a steering column connected to a steering wheel and / or coupled to a steering shaft and / or steering gear. The steering angle sensor provides indications of the turning angle, turning direction, and turning rate requested by the driver via the steering wheel. Direction indication is provided based on the location of a direction indicator coupled to a steering column connected to a steering wheel slat. The vehicle operating parameters may also include one or more vehicle motion and / or orientation parameters, including vehicle acceleration, yaw, pitch, roll, heading, and angle of attack, which may be determined based on indications from one or more inertial measurement units (IMUs) within the vehicle (such as IMU 195).

[0071] Next, at 304, method 300 includes determining the expected vehicle path using one or more vehicle operating parameters discussed above. In one example, the method may include determining whether the expected vehicle path is a straight path or a curved path. For example, the turning angle from a steering angle sensor may be used to determine whether the expected vehicle path is a straight path or a curved path. The processor may determine that the expected vehicle path is a straight path in response to a turning angle less than a threshold angle. If the turning angle is greater than a threshold angle, the processor may determine that the expected vehicle path is a curved path. Furthermore, the curvature of the expected vehicle path may be determined using the degree of the turning angle from the steering angle sensor, the steering ratio, and the length of the vehicle's wheelbase. Additionally, the turning direction (e.g., right or left) may be determined based on input from the steering angle sensor, and the direction of travel based on the gear (e.g., forward or reverse) may be considered when determining the expected vehicle path. Furthermore, additionally or alternatively, indications from an IMU may be utilized to determine the expected vehicle path.

[0072] Furthermore, at 304, method 300 includes assessing the vehicle's current operating environment. This can be based on data from one or more cameras (such as...). Figure 1A The operating environment is evaluated using input from a forward-facing camera 126 coupled to the front of the vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor, and / or a navigation system. For example, images captured by one or more cameras can be used for traffic sign detection and recognition, which can then be used to evaluate the vehicle's current operating environment. In some examples, images from one or more cameras can be combined with vehicle speed and / or input from the navigation system to evaluate the vehicle's operating environment. As a non-limiting example, if a traffic pole is detected, the processor can determine that the vehicle is approaching or at an intersection. It should be understood that other sensors mounted on the vehicle (such as one or more of sensors 120-127, which may include lidar sensors) can be used for traffic sign detection and recognition. As another non-limiting example, images from cameras (e.g., parking area signs, parking space markings on the road) combined with vehicle speed and / or the speeds of other vehicles in the environment (e.g., indications from the vehicle's ultrasonic sensors) can be used to determine whether the vehicle is operating in a parking area. In addition, images from one or more cameras can be used to assess the traffic level in the vehicle’s current operating environment, including vehicular traffic (e.g., moving vehicles, parked vehicles, etc.) and non-vehicle traffic (e.g., human traffic, animal traffic).

[0073] In summary, one or more cameras facing the vehicle's external environment can be used to detect and identify traffic signs, road signs, objects, etc., in order to assess the vehicle's operating environment (e.g., highways, parking areas, residential areas, intersections, etc.). The one or more cameras can also be used to assess the level of vehicular and non-vehicle traffic in the current operating environment. Furthermore, in some examples, the expected operating vehicle speed (e.g., based on speed limit signs identified via one or more cameras) can be considered when assessing the operating environment. Additionally or alternatively, the operating environment can be assessed using inputs from vehicle speed sensors and / or navigation systems (e.g., vehicle position information from GPS sensors and route information from a vehicle navigation system) and / or inputs from an onboard IMU (e.g., vehicle acceleration, yaw rate, pitch angle, roll angle, elevation angle, tilt angle, relative vehicle position, heading, etc.). After determining the expected vehicle path and operating environment, method 300 can proceed to 306. At 306, method 300 may include selecting one or more sensors to adjust the field of view. The selected one or more sensors may include ADAS and / or autonomous sensor systems for detecting and identifying objects in the vehicle's external environment. Therefore, the selected one or more sensors may be one or more of a lidar sensor system, a radar sensor system, an ultrasonic sensor system, and a machine vision-based camera system, which can be used to assess the external environment of a vehicle in a anticipated vehicle path. Furthermore, in one embodiment, each of the selected one or more sensors may include multiple sensor units (e.g., two or more sensor units) that together provide a larger field of view than a single sensor unit. In other words, some sensor systems may include more than one sensor unit to achieve a larger field of view, so the selected one or more sensors may be a sensor system with multiple sensor units. As a non-limiting example, a lidar sensor system may include multiple lidar units, each of which has a first field of view, and the second field of view of the multiple lidar units is larger than the first field of view of a single lidar unit. In another embodiment, a single sensor system may include multiple sub-units, each of which is used to scan a field of view, and when each of the multiple sub-units is combined (e.g., positioned together, with or without overlapping fields of view), the total field of view they provide is greater than the individual field of view of each sub-unit. As a non-limiting example, a single lidar system may include multiple deflection units (e.g., Figure 2A Deflector 214 or Figure 2BThe MEMS unit 216 in the image is used to increase the overall field of view of the lidar system. While the above example is described with respect to lidar sensor systems, it should be understood that other sensors used in ADAS and / or autonomous driving (including radar sensors, camera systems, ultrasonic systems, etc.) can be implemented with multiple sensor units and / or multiple sub-units (e.g., sub-units of sensor units) to increase the field of view of the respective sensor system. Therefore, one or more sensor systems selected for adjusting the field of view can be any sensor system having multiple sensor units or multiple sub-units of sensor units that extend the field of view of the respective sensor system. Furthermore, multiple sensor units and / or multiple sub-units of sensor units can be controlled individually. For example, the power input to each of the multiple sensor units and / or each of the multiple sub-units can be controlled individually, such that the field of view of the sensor system can be reduced by not operating (e.g., not supplying power) some of the multiple sensor units and / or some of the multiple sub-units. In some examples, the detector subunit corresponding to the detected object sensed by the inactive sensor unit (or subunit) (e.g., in the case of a lidar system, the detector subunit may be one or more photodiodes of sensing unit 226 that receive reflected light from the object) may also be unpowered or placed in a low-power mode.

[0074] After selecting one or more sensors for field-of-view adjustment, method 300 proceeds to 308. At 308, method 300 includes determining the desired functional field of view for one or more sensors (selected at 306) based on a desired vehicle path. The desired functional field of view may cover the detection and / or identification of objects within and around one or more threshold regions within the desired vehicle path. For example, one or more threshold regions may include areas directly adjacent to the desired vehicle path and may include areas or zones on the sides of the desired vehicle path. Furthermore, vehicle parameters including vehicle speed and the vehicle operating environment may be considered when determining the desired vehicle path and / or threshold regions, thereby determining the desired functional field of view. Figure 4A , Figure 4B and Figure 5The lidar system described herein details the determination of the desired field of view based on the anticipated vehicle path. In short, as the vehicle path changes, operational controls (e.g., supplying power to the sensors or disconnecting power to the sensors and / or the corresponding driver units used to operate the sensor units) and / or processing controls (e.g., operation of the detector units receiving sensed information from the sensor units and processing of the sensed information) can be adjusted such that the functional field of view of the sensor system is adapted to cover objects within the path relative to the vehicle. Therefore, the desired functional field of view of the sensor is an adjusted field of view such that the sensor scans the environment within the path, including the anticipated vehicle path and a threshold region, wherein said adjustment is performed by operating a desired number of units and includes both horizontal and vertical scanning fields of view of the sensor.

[0075] As a non-limiting example, one or more sensor units or subunits of the sensor system may not be powered to reduce power consumption and processing resource consumption. Specifically, the field of view of one or more unpowered sensor units or subunits may cover objects outside the expected vehicle path that are neither within the expected vehicle path nor within a threshold area of ​​the expected vehicle path, while multiple remaining sensor units of the sensor system can be operated to cover the detection and identification of objects within the expected vehicle path and around the expected vehicle path within a threshold range.

[0076] Next, at 310, method 300 includes operating the vehicle using one or more selected sensors, which operate within their respective desired functional fields of view. For example, multiple sensor units and / or multiple sensor subunits of the sensor system covering fields outside the desired functional field of view may not be powered, but a second number of sensor units and / or a second number of sensor subunits of the sensor system required to scan the desired functional field of view may be operated (e.g., powered and actuated to scan the desired field of view). That is, a second number of sensor units or subunits may be selectively actuated to scan the desired functional field of view without actuating the aforementioned number of sensor units or subunits (and therefore, without scanning the environment outside the functional field of view). Furthermore, sensor data acquired via the second number of units is selectively processed. In one example, only the second number of sensor units or subunits may be electrically operated and actuated to scan the desired functional field of view, and sensor data from the operated second number of units may be processed. In another example, all sensor units may be electrically operated and actuated to scan the environment covering more than the desired functional field of view; however, sensor data from the second number of units scanning the desired functional field of view is selected for processing; the remaining sensor data (from sensors scanning outside the functional field of view) is not processed.

[0077] In this way, by assessing the expected vehicle path and its operating environment, and operating one or more sensors to cover objects within a threshold range of the expected vehicle path, the power consumption of the sensor system used to detect and / or identify objects in the vehicle environment can be reduced. This, in turn, increases the vehicle's operating range. Specifically, it increases the operating range of electric vehicles.

[0078] Go to Figure 4A It illustrates a diagram for operating one or more lidar sensor systems (such as...) Figure 2A or Figure 2B A high-level flowchart of an exemplary method 400 for a lidar system 200, wherein the one or more lidar sensor systems may be Figure 1A Examples of sensor systems 120 and / or 127, which are mounted on a vehicle (such as...) Figure 1A Part of vehicle 100). Specifically, method 400 describes an exemplary adjustment of the functional field of view of one or more lidar sensor systems according to an expected vehicle path. Methods 400 and 450 (in Figure 4B (As described in the text) can be executed based on instructions stored in the processor's memory, such as... Figure 1B The processor 154 of the in-vehicle computing system 190 in the vehicle is... Figure 2B The processing unit 240, the processor of the vehicle control system 190, or any combination thereof. Although reference will be made to Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 2A and Figure 2B Method 400 is described in this way, but without departing from the scope of this disclosure, the method may be applied to other systems.

[0079] Method 400 begins with 402. Steps 402 and 404 are similar to those regarding... Figure 3 Steps 302 and 304 will be discussed, therefore details of similar steps will not be repeated. In short, using inputs from the vehicle speed sensor and steering angle sensor, the processor determines the vehicle's expected path. Furthermore, using inputs from one or more cameras (such as...) Figure 1A The current operating environment of the vehicle can be determined by input from the forward-facing camera 126, the navigation system, and / or the vehicle speed sensor and / or the inertial measurement unit. After determining the expected vehicle path and the current operating environment, method 400 proceeds to 406.

[0080] At 406, method 400 includes determining a desired functional field of view based on a anticipated vehicle path from one or more lidar sensors mounted on the vehicle. As the anticipated vehicle path changes, the lidar system can be adjusted to operate with the desired functional field of view based on the anticipated vehicle path to scan the anticipated vehicle path and one or more threshold areas surrounding it. Determining the desired functional field of view includes, for the one or more lidar sensor systems, determining the number of deflectors to be operated and the locations of the deflectors operated to achieve the desired functional field of view. The following is about... Figure 4B The details of determining the desired functional field of view of a lidar system (such as lidar system 200) are discussed.

[0081] Furthermore, determining the desired functional field of view of a given lidar sensor system includes determining one or more of the desired horizontal functional field of view and the desired vertical functional field of view of the lidar sensor system.

[0082] After determining the desired functional field of view for each of one or more lidar systems (as follows) Figure 4B (As discussed in the previous section), method 400 proceeds to 408. At 408, method 400 includes operating one or more lidar sensor systems to scan the desired functional field of view.

[0083] Now go to Figure 4B It shows a diagram used to determine lidar sensors (such as...) Figure 2A and Figure 2B A high-level flowchart of an exemplary method 450 for the desired functional field of view of a lidar sensor 200 in a laser radar sensor.

[0084] At 452, method 450 includes determining whether the current vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed. In one example, the threshold speed may be predetermined, wherein the threshold speed is based on the vehicle's reaction time to objects in the vehicle environment. The reaction time may take into account the total duration spent by the lidar system detecting and / or identifying objects in the vehicle environment. Thus, if the reaction time is long, the threshold speed is low, and vice versa. In another example, the threshold speed may determine whether the vehicle is operating in a highway environment, and accordingly, the threshold speed may be based on the lowest highway speed in the current geographic area where the vehicle is operating. Thus, the threshold speed may be determined using input from a navigation system and / or a camera acquiring traffic sign information.

[0085] If the current vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed, the answer at 452 is "yes," and the method proceeds to 454. At 454, method 450 includes determining a first functional field of view based on the vehicle speed. Determining the first functional field of view may include determining a first degree of horizontal field of view based on the current vehicle speed. At higher vehicle speeds than the threshold speed, to ensure sufficient reaction time to detect objects traveling in the expected vehicle path, the functional field of view of the LiDAR sensor is increased to scan a larger area including the expected vehicle path and a larger threshold area around the expected vehicle path. Thus, in one example, for vehicle speeds equal to or greater than the threshold speed, a first functional field of view (which is a wider field of view) is used, while for vehicle speeds less than the threshold speed, a second functional field of view, narrower than the first field of view, is used (also discussed below with respect to step 460). In other words, the first degree of horizontal field of view at higher speeds equal to or greater than the threshold speed is greater than the second degree of horizontal field of view at vehicle speeds less than the threshold speed. In some examples, the degree of vertical field of view may also be greater.

[0086] In the example above, a single threshold speed is used to determine whether to use the first or second functional field of view. It should be noted that different speed thresholds can be used to provide a range of field of view width and height. Therefore, in some examples, a lookup table stored in the processor's memory may include corresponding fields of view (horizontal and / or vertical) for various vehicle speeds or speed ranges (e.g., 0-20 mph, 20-40 mph, 40-60 mph, etc., or any other speed range), and based on the current vehicle speed, the lookup table can be used to determine the nominal field of view for the current vehicle speed. For example, for each lidar sensor, a lookup table indicating the nominal field of view for various vehicle speeds or speed ranges can be generated at installation time and stored in the processor's memory. During vehicle operation, the lookup table can be used to adopt the nominal field of view according to the vehicle speed, thus the first functional field of view is the nominal field of view for the current vehicle speed.

[0087] After determining the first functional field of view, method 450 proceeds to 456. At 456, method 450 includes determining a first number of deflector units for scanning the first functional field of view. As described above... Figure 2A and Figure 2BAs discussed herein, a lidar sensor unit may include multiple deflector units, each of which is pivotable about a central axis to scan a separate field of view, such that the total field of view (which is greater than each individual field of view) can be scanned by the multiple deflector units. Therefore, at 456, the processor may determine a first number of deflector units required to scan a first functional field of view. The individual fields of view may or may not overlap. As a non-limiting example, a single deflector unit may provide a 45-degree horizontal field of view and a 30-degree vertical field of view. To achieve a 160-degree horizontal field of view scan, four deflector units may be arranged, with some degree of field-of-view overlap between at least two deflector units. For example, four deflector units may be arranged in a row, with partial overlap between the fields of view of adjacent deflector units to scan a 160-degree horizontal field of view and a 30-degree vertical field of view. If the first functional horizontal field of view is 80 degrees, the first number of deflector units is 2. As another non-limiting example, four deflector units may be arranged to scan a 180-degree horizontal field of view and a 30-degree vertical field of view. For a first functional horizontal field of view of 80 degrees, for this exemplary configuration, the first number of deflector units is 2.

[0088] As another non-limiting example, the four deflector units described above can be arranged in two rows, with two deflector units in each row, to scan a 90-degree horizontal field of view and a 60-degree vertical field of view. In this arrangement, the first number of deflector units is four, to scan an 80-degree horizontal field of view.

[0089] In some implementations, multiple MEMS mirrors are used as deflection units for scanning, as indicated at 457, which determines a first number of MEMS mirrors for scanning a first functional field of view.

[0090] In some implementations, multiple lidar systems (e.g., lidar system 200) or scanning units (e.g., scanning unit 214) are arranged to provide a large field of view, as indicated at 458, which may determine a first number of lidar systems or scanning units that may need to be operated to scan the first functional field of view.

[0091] Returning to 452, if the current vehicle speed is less than a threshold speed, method 450 proceeds to 460. At 460, method 450 includes determining a second functional field of view based on the current vehicle speed. When the vehicle speed is less than the threshold speed, the second functional field of view is narrower than the first functional field of view used when the vehicle speed is greater than the threshold speed. Similar to the first functional field of view discussed with respect to step 454, determining the second functional field of view may include determining a second degree of horizontal field of view based on the current vehicle speed. At lower vehicle speeds below the threshold speed, when the sensor has sufficient reaction time to detect objects traveling in the vehicle path, the functional field of view of the LiDAR sensor is reduced to scan a narrower area including the expected vehicle path and a smaller threshold area surrounding the expected vehicle path. It should be understood that if the deflector units are arranged such that more than one deflector unit is used to scan a larger field of view (when needed), the degree of vertical field of view may also be reduced. Furthermore, as discussed at 454, different speed thresholds can be used to provide a range of field of view width and height. Therefore, in some examples, a lookup table stored in the processor's memory and including corresponding fields of view (horizontal and / or vertical) for various vehicle speeds or speed ranges (e.g., 0-20 mph, 20-40 mph, 40-60 mph, etc., or any other speed range) can be used to determine the second functional field of view. For example, during vehicle operation, the lookup table can be used to adopt a nominal field of view based on the vehicle speed, so that the first functional field of view (at step 454) is the nominal field of view for the first vehicle speed, and the second functional field of view is the nominal field of view for the second vehicle speed, wherein the first functional field of view is larger than the second functional field of view, and wherein the first vehicle speed is greater than the second vehicle speed.

[0092] In another example, during a first condition, when the current vehicle speed is greater than a threshold speed, a first functional field of view can be used to scan the vehicle path; and during a second condition, when the current vehicle speed is less than a threshold speed, a second functional field of view can be used to scan the vehicle path; wherein the first functional field of view is larger than the second functional field of view.

[0093] Next, at 462, method 450 includes determining a second number of deflectors required to scan the second functional field of view. Since the second functional field of view is narrower than the first functional field of view, the second number of deflectors is less than the first number of deflectors. In some examples, where MEMS mirrors are used as deflectors, as indicated at 463, the second number of MEMS mirrors required to scan the second functional field of view can be determined. In some other examples, as indicated at 464, the second number of lidar scanning units or lidar systems can be determined based on the second functional field of view.

[0094] In one implementation, a first vehicle speed range is classified as highway vehicle speed, while a second vehicle speed range can be classified as residential area vehicle speed or parked vehicle speed, wherein the first vehicle speed range is greater than the second vehicle speed range. During vehicle operation conditions, when the vehicle operates at a first vehicle speed within the first vehicle speed range, a first functional field of view can be scanned by operating a first number of deflectors. When the vehicle operates at a second vehicle speed within the second vehicle speed range, a second functional field of view, narrower than the first functional field of view, can be scanned by operating a second number of deflectors, fewer than the first number. In this way, by adjusting the field of view of the lidar system according to vehicle speed, the number of lidar deflectors (or MEMS mirrors or scanning units) used can be reduced under certain conditions. Therefore, the corresponding drivers for actuating unused deflectors do not need to be powered, and the overall power consumption is reduced.

[0095] about Figure 6A Exemplary changes in field of view are shown at different vehicle speeds.

[0096] After determining the number of deflectors in the functional field of view identified by the scan, method 450 proceeds to 466. At 466, method 450 includes determining the curvature of a anticipated vehicle path that the vehicle can traverse at its current vehicle speed. The curvature of the anticipated vehicle path can be determined based on inputs from one or more of a steering angle sensor, one or more cameras, an IMU, and a navigation system.

[0097] In one example, a steering angle sensor can provide an indication of the vehicle's current steering angle. The current steering angle, along with the vehicle's steering ratio and wheelbase distance, can be used to determine the curvature of the expected vehicle path. The steering angle is proportional to the curvature of the expected path, so the expected curvature increases with increasing steering angle. Furthermore, the direction of the steering wheel's turn can be used to determine the vehicle's turning direction. Additionally, in some examples, input from a navigation system and / or one or more cameras (e.g., a forward-facing camera acquiring vehicle path information) can also be used to determine the curvature of the expected path.

[0098] In one implementation, when the vehicle is operating in autonomous mode, where input from the steering angle sensor is unavailable, information about the curvature of the expected vehicle path can be obtained from one or more of an IMU, a navigation system, one or more cameras, and one or more other sensors (e.g., other lidar sensors), the navigation system including the current vehicle position from a GPS sensor and position information from the navigation system.

[0099] After determining the curvature of the expected path, method 450 proceeds to 468. At 468, method 450 includes determining whether the curvature is greater than a first upper threshold curvature. If the answer at 468 is "no", then method 450 proceeds to 472. At 472, method 450 includes determining whether the curvature is greater than a second lower threshold. If the curvature is not greater than the second lower threshold (the answer at 472 is "no"), the vehicle is expected to travel on a straight or slightly curved path, and accordingly method 450 proceeds to 476. At 476, the method includes operating the vehicle with a number of deflector units determined according to the vehicle speed. Specifically, since the curvature of the expected vehicle path is less than the second lower threshold, the expected vehicle path is straight or slightly curved, and the lidar system's field of view responds primarily to it based on vehicle speed. Therefore, the lidar system can operate with a number of deflector units determined according to the vehicle speed.

[0100] Furthermore, since the curvature of the expected path is less than the second lower threshold, the amount of the scanned field of view can be symmetrical about the vehicle's horizontal or central axis. In other words, the number of units operated on can be selected such that the field of view scanned by multiple deflector units is symmetrical about the expected vehicle path. For example, if the number of units is even, the number of units operated on the right side is equal to the number of units operated on the left side. If the number of units is odd, the number of units operated to the right of the central unit is equal to the number of units operated to the left of the central unit. In this way, when the expected path is straight or slightly curved, multiple deflectors can scan the field of view symmetrically about the expected vehicle path or the vehicle itself.

[0101] Similarly, as the number of deflector units operated decreases, the number of deflector units can decrease symmetrically from either side. For example, when the vehicle speed changes from a higher vehicle speed (above a threshold) to a lower vehicle speed (below a threshold), and when the expected vehicle path curvature is less than a second lower threshold, the number of deflectors can be reduced from a first number to a second number by stopping the power supply to the deflectors located at the left and right ends. Therefore, when the field of view is changed from a wider field of view to a narrower field of view (when the vehicle operation changes from a higher speed (above a threshold) to a lower speed (below a threshold), the number of units turned off can be equal on either side and can be end units outside the threshold area that scans the expected vehicle path and is located on the side of the expected vehicle path and adjacent to the expected vehicle path.

[0102] As another non-limiting example, a first deflector (Dn) may be configured to scan a horizontal field of view from -20° (to the left from the driver's perspective) to +20° (to the right from the driver's perspective). Dn may be centered to scan from -20° to +20° about the vehicle's horizontal or central axis. A second deflector (Dn+1) may be configured to scan a second horizontal field of view from +20° to +60° about the vehicle's central axis, and a third deflector (Dn+2) may be configured to scan a third horizontal field of view from +60° to +100° about the vehicle's central axis. Furthermore, a second relative deflector (Dn-1) may be configured to scan a second relative horizontal field of view from -20° to -60° about the vehicle's central axis, and a third relative deflector (Dn-2) may be configured to scan a third relative horizontal field of view from -60° to -100° about the vehicle's central axis. When the expected vehicle path is straight or slightly curved, and when the vehicle operates at low speeds below a threshold speed, the first deflector, second deflector, and second relative deflector can be operated to scan a field of view from -60° to +60° around the vehicle's central axis. However, when the vehicle operates at higher speeds equal to or above the threshold speed, a wider field of view from -100° to +100° can be used. Accordingly, the first deflector, second deflector, second relative deflector, third deflector, and third relative deflector can be operated to scan a horizontal field of view from -100° to +100°. Therefore, when the vehicle speed is below the threshold, power consumption can be reduced by operating a smaller number of deflectors. Figure 6A The image shows an example of functional field of view adjustment based on vehicle speed.

[0103] Step 477 indicates an implementation of one or more additional deflector units that can be adjusted according to the curvature of the expected vehicle path. In one example, when MEMS mirrors are used as deflector units, the number of MEMS mirrors can be adjusted. In another example, the number of scanning units or lidar systems can be adjusted.

[0104] Returning to 468, if the answer at 468 is "yes," method 450 proceeds to 470. At 470, method 450 includes increasing the number of yaw units to increase the field of view in the turning direction, while decreasing the number of yaw units in the opposite turning direction. In one example, the field of view adjustment can be performed independently of vehicle speed and based on the curvature of the expected vehicle path, wherein the curvature is determined based on input from one or more of a steering angle sensor, a navigation system, and one or more cameras (e.g., road-facing cameras) acquiring information about the vehicle path.

[0105] In another example, the field of view can be adjusted with respect to a nominal field of view determined based on vehicle speed. As discussed above at 454, 456, 460, and 462, the nominal field of view can be a first functional field of view scanned by a first number of deflectors when the current vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a threshold speed, and the nominal field of view can be a second functional field of view scanned by a second number of deflectors when the vehicle speed is less than the threshold speed. When the curvature of the expected vehicle path is sharp (greater than a first upper threshold), the field of view in the turning direction increases with respect to the nominal field of view. This increase in field of view in the turning direction can be achieved by increasing the number of deflector units configured to scan the field of view in the desired direction. As a non-limiting example, if half of the first number of deflectors is used to scan the right side of the first field of view (e.g., the right side of the vehicle's centerline) and the other half of the first number of deflectors is used to scan the left side of the first field of view, then when the curvature of the expected vehicle path is to the right and greater than a first threshold, one or more additional numbers of deflectors (other than half of the first number of deflectors) can be used to scan a larger area in the turning direction (i.e., to the right), while one or more deflectors scanning the left side (e.g., the deflector scanning the leftmost area) can be turned off to save power. These one or more deflectors do not cover the scanning of the expected vehicle curvature path and the threshold area, or in some examples, the one or more deflectors can be operated in a low-power mode. Therefore, in some examples, operating multiple units for scanning the field of view in the turning direction may include operating units that are normally not powered on for the current vehicle speed. Furthermore, in addition to increasing the field of view in the turning direction, one or more deflector units configured to scan the field of view in the opposite direction (e.g., the area furthest from the opposite direction) may not be operated. Therefore, scanning in the opposite direction of the turning direction can be reduced by not operating one or more deflector units that typically scan the field of view on the opposite turning side.

[0106] As another non-limiting example, referring to the example discussed in step 476, the first deflector may be configured to scan -20° to +20° about the vehicle's horizontal or central axis, the second deflector may be configured to scan a second horizontal field of view from +20° to +60° about the vehicle's central axis, and the third deflector may be configured to scan a third horizontal field of view from +60° to +100° about the vehicle's central axis. Furthermore, the second relative deflector may be configured to scan a second relative horizontal field of view from -20° to -60° about the vehicle's central axis, and the third relative deflector may be configured to scan a third relative horizontal field of view from -60° to -100° about the vehicle's central axis. When the expected vehicle path is straight or slightly curved, and when the vehicle is operating at low speeds below a threshold speed, the first deflector, the second deflector, and the second relative deflector can be operated to scan a field of view from -60° to +60° around the vehicle's central axis. Furthermore, due to the low vehicle speed, the field of view is narrow (-60° to +60°) compared to the wider field of view (-100° to +100°) available when the vehicle speed is above a threshold speed. Since the first, second, and second relative deflectors cover the desired field of view (-60° to +60°) at low vehicle speeds, the third deflector and the third relative deflector can be turned off. When operating at low speeds below the threshold, the vehicle driver can turn the steering wheel sharply to the right, and in response, the expected vehicle path can be determined to have a curvature greater than the first upper threshold. In response to the increase in curvature of the expected vehicle path in the rightward direction, the first, second, and third deflectors (which are normally not engaged when the vehicle is traveling on a straight or slightly curved path) can be operated to scan the horizontal field of view from -20° to +100°, while the second relative deflector can be turned off. The first, second, and third deflectors can cover scanning the curved vehicle path in the curve direction and scanning a threshold region around the curved vehicle path. The second relative deflector, which scans the field of view in the opposite turning direction, can be turned off to reduce current consumption. Similarly, when a vehicle driver intends to make a sharp left turn and anticipates the curvature of the vehicle path to be greater than a first upper threshold, the first, second, and third relative deflectors can be operated to cover a field of view ranging from -100° to +20°, while the second and third deflectors, which typically scan opposite sides, can be turned off to save power that might otherwise be consumed by the additional ASIC and detection processing of the second and third deflector units.

[0107] Continuing the example above, when the vehicle is traveling at a higher speed than a threshold speed, a wider field of view ranging from -100° to +100° can be used. Therefore, the first deflector, second deflector, second relative deflector, third deflector, and third relative deflector can be operated to scan the wider field of view at a higher speed. When the curvature (to the right) of the expected vehicle path is greater than the first upper threshold, the entire wider field of view can be maintained while adjusting the directionality of the field of view towards the turning direction. Therefore, the first deflector, second deflector, second relative deflector, and third deflector can be operated to provide a scan of -60° to +100°. Furthermore, a fourth deflector (Dn+3), which is normally not operated when traveling at higher speeds on straight or slightly curved paths, can be activated to scan +100° to +140° in the turning direction (to the right), while the third relative deflector (scanning -60° to -100° in the opposite turning direction) can be deactivated to reduce power consumption. It should be understood that the aforementioned number of deflectors and field of view ranges are for illustrative purposes, and any number of deflectors and any field of view range for each deflector can be used, within the scope of this disclosure. Step 471 indicates an implementation of one or more additional deflector units that can be adjusted according to the curvature of the expected vehicle path. In one example, when a MEMS mirror is used as a deflector unit, multiple MEMS mirrors can be adjusted to increase the field of view in the turning direction by reducing the field of view in the opposite turning direction as discussed above. In another example, when multiple scanning units or multiple lidar systems are used, the control strategy discussed above can be implemented for the multiple scanning units or lidar systems to increase the field of view in the turning direction by increasing the number of units in the turning direction and decrease the field of view in the opposite turning direction by decreasing the number of units in the opposite turning direction.

[0108] Returning to 472, if the curvature is less than a first upper threshold but greater than a second lower threshold, method 450 proceeds to 474. At 474, method 450 includes maintaining the number of yaw units in the turning direction to maintain a turning-side view in the turning direction, and reducing the number of yaw units in the opposite turning direction to reduce the opposite-side view in the direction opposite to the turn. In one example, the view adjustment can be performed independently of vehicle speed and based on the curvature of the expected vehicle path. Therefore, in one example, when the curvature is small (greater than the second lower threshold and less than the first upper threshold), the number of units scanning the view in the turning direction may be less than the number of units scanning the view in the turning direction when the curvature is equal to or greater than the first upper threshold. Additionally or alternatively, when the curvature is small, the number of the disconnected units furthest from the opposite turning direction may be less than the number when the curvature is greater than the first upper threshold.

[0109] In another example, the field of view can be adjusted with respect to a nominal field of view, and therefore with respect to a nominal number of deflectors, the nominal number being determined based on vehicle speed. As a non-limiting example, if half of the first number of deflectors (scanning the first field of view according to vehicle speed) is used to scan the right side of the first field of view (e.g., to the right of the vehicle's centerline) and the other half of the first number of deflectors is used to scan the left side of the first field of view, then when the curvature of the expected vehicle path to the right is equal to or greater than a second lower threshold but less than a first upper threshold, the operation of the right half of the deflectors scanning the right side of the first field of view can be maintained, and simultaneously one or more deflectors scanning the left side that do not cover the expected curved path of the vehicle (e.g., deflectors scanning the leftmost region) can be turned off to save power, or in some examples, the one or more deflectors can be operated in a low-power mode. As another non-limiting example, continuing with the example discussed with respect to 470, when the vehicle speed is less than a threshold speed, the first deflector, the second deflector, and the second relative deflector can be operated to scan a horizontal field of view ranging from -60° to +60°. When a vehicle driver turns the steering wheel to the right to guide the vehicle through a curved path, the expected vehicle path may have a curvature corresponding to the steering angle. In response to the curvature of the predetermined vehicle path to the right being equal to or greater than a first threshold and less than a second threshold, the operation of the first and second yokes can be maintained, while the second relative yoke can be deactivated. In some examples, if the second relative yoke scans a portion of the threshold region around the expected vehicle path, the operation of all three yokes can be maintained. When the vehicle is operating at a higher speed than the threshold speed, the first, second, second, third, and third relative yokes can be operated to provide a scan of the horizontal field of view ranging from -100° to +100°. When the vehicle operator turns the steering wheel to the right, and if the curvature of the expected vehicle path is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold, the operation of the first, second, and third yokes can be maintained, while one or more of the second and third relative yokes can be deactivated.

[0110] In this way, the power consumed by scanning that does not cover the vehicle path and the operation of one or more deflectors in the threshold area around the vehicle path can be reduced. Step 475 indicates an implementation of one or more additional deflector units that can be adjusted according to the curvature of the expected vehicle path. In one example, when MEMS mirrors are used as deflector units, the number of MEMS mirrors can be adjusted to maintain the field of view on the turning side in the turning direction and reduce the field of view in the opposite turning direction as discussed above. In another example, when multiple scanning units or multiple lidar systems are used, the control strategy discussed above can be implemented for the multiple scanning units or lidar systems to maintain the field of view in the turning direction by maintaining the number of units in the turning direction and reduce the field of view in the opposite turning direction by reducing the number of units in the opposite turning direction.

[0111] In this way, the operation of the lidar system installed on the vehicle can be adjusted according to the vehicle speed and the curvature of the expected vehicle path.

[0112] In one implementation, all deflector units can be operated to illuminate the vehicle's operating environment, and the number of deflector units in the environment outside the illumination path (i.e., the environment outside the expected vehicle path and outside the threshold zone surrounding the expected vehicle path) and the corresponding positions of said number of deflector units can be determined. Data acquired from multiple deflector units scanning the environment outside the path can be exempted from processing by the LiDAR processing unit. This reduces computational workload.

[0113] Figure 5 The lidar system (such as) is shown indicating various vehicle operating conditions. Figure 2BTable 500 illustrates exemplary adjustments to the functional field of view of a lidar system 200 (shown below), which includes multiple MEMS mirrors. Table 500 describes exemplary adjustments that can be performed by a vehicle processor in conjunction with a lidar system processor to increase or decrease the field of view of the lidar system by powering on or off one or more MEMS mirrors and / or their actuators. Specifically, the number of MEMS mirrors operated can be adjusted based on a calculated vehicle path to reduce overall lidar sensor power consumption and computational workload. Multiple MEMS mirrors operate as deflectors to scan the environment around the vehicle, including its travel path. In one example, the multiple MEMS mirrors can be arranged as an M×N array, where M represents the number of rows and N represents the number of columns. Each of the multiple MEMS mirrors can scan a separate field of view using light from at least one light source, allowing the multiple MEMS mirrors to provide a larger scan of the field of view together. The separate field of view of each MEMS mirror can be adjacent to or overlap with adjacent mirrors. This example will be described using a single row comprising an even number of MEMS mirrors (i.e., a 1xN array, where N is even). It should be noted that the field-of-view adjustments and therefore the MEMS mirror adjustments described herein can be applied to any configuration of the MEMS mirror. Furthermore, while this example is described with respect to the MEMS mirror, the field-of-view adjustments and the operation of the MEMS mirror can be used with any type of deflector unit, particularly when multiple deflector units are used to scan a larger field of view.

[0114] Furthermore, Table 500 describes exemplary adjustments to a lidar sensor system that can be positioned to scan the total field of view across the front of a vehicle. For example, the lidar system may be positioned within a front grille of the vehicle and configured to scan the total field of view across the front using multiple MEMS mirrors; wherein each of the multiple MEMS mirrors scans a corresponding portion of the total field of view, and wherein the corresponding portions scanned by two adjacent MEMS mirrors may be consecutive or overlapping. While Table 500 includes exemplary descriptions of adjustments that can be performed by a processor, in one example, Table 500 may be stored as a lookup table in the processor's memory. The lookup table may include a value for the number of MEMS mirrors that are powered on and location indications of which MEMS mirrors are operated and which MEMS mirrors are powered off. The lidar system processor can perform field-of-view adjustments by powering on and stopping the operation of specified MEMS units according to the lookup table.

[0115] Table 500 shows the calculated vehicle path at column 502. The calculated vehicle path (also referred to herein as the expected vehicle path) can be determined based on inputs from one or more of the steering angle sensor, the navigation system, and one or more cameras acquiring information about the vehicle's surroundings. Table 500 also shows the vehicle speed determined by the vehicle speed sensor at column 504, the steering angle determined by the steering angle sensor at column 506, the lane change indication based on the lane change indicator at column 508, the expected functional field of view (also referred to as the expected field of view) of the LiDAR system corresponding to the calculated vehicle path at column 510, and the number of MEMS mirrors powered to provide the expected field of view at column 512. In this example, the expected field of view (FoV) is the horizontal field of view, and therefore the vertical field of view can remain the same for various vehicle paths when adjusting the horizontal field of view. However, in some examples, additionally, multiple MEMS mirrors can be arranged to provide a larger vertical field of view, and in such examples, one or more MEMS mirrors (e.g., one or more rows of MEMS mirrors) can be powered or de-powered to increase or decrease the vertical field of view. Furthermore, in this example, multiple right MEMS mirrors (also referred to herein as right cells) are configured to cover a scan of the right field of view, which is the right sector to the right of the vehicle's central axis (viewed from the vehicle operator's perspective), and multiple left cells (also referred to herein as left cells) can be configured to cover a scan of the left field of view, which is the left sector to the left of the vehicle's central axis. Column 514 indicates the orientation adjustment of the MEMS mirrors based on the calculated direction of the vehicle path (e.g., whether it is the right cell, the left cell, or both).

[0116] Line 520 illustrates an exemplary adjustment of the MEMS mirrors when a vehicle is at or approaching or passing through an intersection. For example, one or more forward-facing cameras can detect traffic signs (e.g., traffic light poles) ahead of the vehicle, indicating that the vehicle is approaching an intersection. Alternatively or additionally, a navigation system can provide information about the approaching intersection. Furthermore, the vehicle processor can use information from the vehicle speed sensor to determine if the vehicle is stopped at an intersection. When the vehicle is at, approaching, or passing through an intersection, the full field of view of the LiDAR sensors can be utilized independently of vehicle speed, steering angle, and lane change indication. Therefore, all the multiple MEMS mirrors are powered on, and thus all right units and all left units are operated. Additionally, the full field of view of the LiDAR system can be used when the vehicle is started (e.g., when the ignition key position changes from "off" to "on"). In one example, diagnostic operations can be performed when the vehicle is started to evaluate the operation of the LiDAR system, thus utilizing the full field of view of the LiDAR sensors at start-up.

[0117] In one implementation, when multiple lidar systems are used to scan the environment around the vehicle, all of the multiple lidar systems can be operated, including lidar systems facing the front path, lidar systems facing the rear path, and lidar systems facing the right and left areas.

[0118] Lines 522, 524, and 526 depict the slightly curved path when the calculated vehicle path is a straight line (e.g., in...). Figure 4B At step 472, when the curvature of the vehicle path is less than the second lower threshold, the MEMS mirror is adjusted in response to the steering angle being less than the lower threshold angle. During vehicle operation, when the vehicle path is slightly curved while being straight, the desired field of view is adjusted according to the vehicle speed. Therefore, when the vehicle speed is less than the threshold speed (e.g., at...), the MEMS mirror is adjusted accordingly. Figure 4B When considering the threshold velocity discussed at step 452, a narrow field of view (line 522) is desirable, and therefore the number of MEMS mirrors being operated can be reduced by stopping sensing using one or more MEMS mirrors (e.g., stopping power supply to one or more MEMS mirror units and / or stopping actuation of one or more MEMS mirrors). Since the vehicle path is straight, the number of unoperated right units can be equal to the number of unoperated left units, causing the field of view of the LiDAR system to decrease symmetrically and proportionally from the right and left boundaries of the total field of view. The narrow field of view can cover scanning the calculated or anticipated vehicle path and a narrow threshold region around the vehicle path to detect objects within the path and some areas directly adjacent to the calculated vehicle path.

[0119] When the vehicle speed exceeds a threshold speed (line 524), a wider field of view is desired. Therefore, the number of MEMS mirrors operated can be less than or equal to the total number of MEMS mirrors, but greater than the number of MEMS mirrors used for a narrower field of view in the same operating environment. Furthermore, due to the relatively straight expected vehicle path, if the field of view changes from a narrower to a wider field of view, the increase in the number of operated MEMS mirrors can be symmetrical on both sides, so as to symmetrically increase the right and left boundaries of the field of view. Similarly, if the field of view changes from the total field of view to a wider field of view smaller than the total field of view, the number of right and left units not operated to obtain the wider field of view can be symmetrical. In this way, when the vehicle path is straight or only slightly curved, adjustments to the right and left sectors of the total field of view will be performed symmetrically.

[0120] Furthermore, when the calculated vehicle path is straight or slightly curved, if the vehicle operator provides a lane change instruction (row 526, column 508), the nominal field of view (based on vehicle speed) can be further adjusted to increase the field of view in the indicated direction. Therefore, when the vehicle operator provides a right-turn instruction or when the map identifies a directional turn / curve in the road, the number of operated right MEMS mirrors can be increased, while the number of left MEMS mirrors can remain the same, and vice versa. After the lane change is completed, the field of view can be adjusted back to the nominal field of view (i.e., based on vehicle speed).

[0121] Line 528 describes an exemplary adjustment when the steering angle is greater than a lower threshold but less than an upper threshold angle, and similarly, the curvature of the calculated vehicle path is greater than a lower threshold but less than an upper threshold (e.g., a first upper threshold at step 468). In some examples, the curvature of the calculated vehicle path may be determined based on one or more of a steering angle sensor and / or an IMU (e.g., yaw rate, roll angle, pitch angle, heading, acceleration, etc.). In response to the calculated vehicle path being curved, the field of view of the lidar system may be adjusted to reduce a portion of the field of view in the direction opposite to the turning direction. Thus, when the vehicle path is expected to curve to the right (line 528, column 514), the number of powered left mirrors may be reduced while the number of operated right mirrors may be maintained (e.g., based on vehicle speed). Similarly, for example, when the vehicle path is expected to curve to the left (line 528, column 514), the number of powered right mirrors may be reduced while the number of operated left mirrors may be maintained based on vehicle speed.

[0122] Line 530 illustrates an exemplary adjustment when the steering angle is greater than an upper limit threshold angle, thus the calculated vehicle path has a value greater than a first upper limit threshold (e.g., Figure 4B The sharp curvature (first upper limit threshold at 468). In response to a calculated vehicle path with a sharp curvature, a portion of the field of view can be increased in the turning direction, while a portion of the field of view can be decreased in the opposite direction. Therefore, when the expected vehicle path has a sharp right curve (row 530, column 514), the number of operated right MEMS mirrors can be increased to increase a portion of the field of view in the turning direction, and the number of operated left MEMS mirrors can be decreased to decrease a portion of the field of view in the opposite direction. Similarly, when the expected vehicle path has a sharp left curve (row 530, column 514), the number of operated left MEMS mirrors can be increased to increase a portion of the field of view in the turning direction, while the number of operated right MEMS mirrors can be decreased to decrease a portion of the field of view in the opposite direction.

[0123] Line 532 illustrates exemplary adjustments during transient maneuvers, such as during accelerator pedal depressing (e.g., a torque request increased by the operator). During transient conditions, the field of view can be adjusted to provide a full field of view and thus allow operation of all MEMS units. After the transient maneuver is complete, the field of view can be adjusted, as discussed above, based on one or more of the vehicle speed, the expected vehicle path, and the external operating environment of the vehicle.

[0124] It should be understood that the vehicle path can be continuously assessed, and the field of view can be continuously adjusted according to the expected vehicle path. For example, after completing a turn, if the vehicle resumes a straight path, the LiDAR system can operate with a nominal field of view corresponding to the vehicle speed. In this way, the sensor's field of view can be dynamically adjusted, reducing the power consumed by the LiDAR sensor to drive MEMS mirror operation and computational processing. This, in turn, reduces the total power consumed from the vehicle's power supply and improves the overall driving range of electric or partially electric vehicles.

[0125] In some implementations, when all MEMS mirrors are operated to illuminate the environment, data acquired by the MEMS mirrors can be selectively processed. For example, selected data acquired by MEMS mirrors scanning a desired number and location of threshold areas around the expected vehicle path can be processed. This reduces the computational workload and processing time of the LiDAR system. Furthermore, the reduced computational workload lowers power consumption.

[0126] Figures 6A to 6C An example field-of-view adjustment based on vehicle speed and expected vehicle path is shown by adjusting the operation of one or more mirrors in a lidar sensor 610, which may be... Figure 2B An example of the lidar sensor system 200 discussed. The lidar sensor 610 can be installed in a vehicle (such as...) Figure 1A The front of the vehicle 100 may include a first mirror with a first field of view 601, a second mirror with a second field of view 602, a third mirror with a third field of view 603, a fourth mirror with a fourth field of view 604, a fifth mirror with a fifth field of view 605, and a sixth mirror with a sixth field of view 606. The first, second, and third mirrors cover a scan of the right side of the vehicle's central axis 611 (from the vehicle operator's perspective or with respect to looking forward in the direction of travel). The fourth, fifth, and sixth mirrors cover a scan of the left side of the central axis 611 (from the vehicle operator's perspective or with respect to looking forward in the direction of travel). Figures 6A to 6C In the diagram, the areas scanned by the mirror when it is powered on are shown with solid lines, while the areas not scanned by the mirror because it is not powered on (i.e., the mirror does not scan the field of view, or in other words, it does not illuminate objects in the field of view) are shown with dashed lines.

[0127] The lidar sensor 610 may receive vehicle speed indication 612 and expected vehicle path indication 614 from an onboard computing system 109 or via a vehicle control system (such as vehicle control system 190). As discussed above, the vehicle speed indication 612 may be obtained via the vehicle speed sensor, and the expected path indication 614 may be determined based on one or more of a steering angle sensor, a vehicle position sensor, one or more cameras acquiring information about the vehicle's external environment, one or more additional lidar sensors, and a navigation sensor. In some examples, the processor of the lidar sensor 610 may use indications from one or more of the steering angle sensor, the vehicle position sensor, one or more cameras, one or more additional lidar sensors, and a navigation sensor to calculate the expected vehicle path.

[0128] Now go to Figure 6A This illustrates an exemplary field-of-view adjustment 600 when the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than a threshold speed on a desired vehicle path 609, which is a straight path (i.e., the vehicle's desired turning radius is less than a lower threshold). For example, the vehicle may be traveling on a highway, thus allowing for higher vehicle speeds and travel on a straight path 609. To ensure the lidar sensor 610 has sufficient reaction time to detect objects traveling in the vehicle path, a wider field of view 616 can be used when the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the threshold speed. Furthermore, since the vehicle is expected to travel on a straight path, the field of view can be symmetrical about the vehicle's central axis 611. Therefore, the number of right mirrors operated is equal to the number of left mirrors operated. Thus, to scan the wider field of view 616, the second and fifth mirrors are electrically operated to scan the desired vehicle path 609 and threshold regions symmetrically positioned on the right and left sides of the desired vehicle path 609. Additionally, the first mirror (configured to scan field of view 601) and the sixth mirror (configured to scan field of view 606), which respectively scan the rightmost and leftmost regions, may not be powered. The rightmost and leftmost areas are the areas outside the path that were not mirrored and are shown as dashed lines.

[0129] Figure 6AAn exemplary field-of-view adjustment 620 for the lidar sensor 610 when the vehicle speed is below a threshold speed is also shown. For example, the vehicle will operate in a local driving environment, so the vehicle speed may be low. Furthermore, the expected vehicle path 629 is a straight path. When the vehicle speed is below the threshold speed and the expected vehicle path 629 is straight, a narrower field of view 626 is suitable for conserving power. Therefore, the third and fourth mirrors, which scan the expected vehicle path 629 and the second threshold area (which may be smaller than the threshold area when the speed is higher) directly adjacent to the expected vehicle path 629, are powered, while the remaining mirrors (first, second, fifth, and sixth mirrors) scanning the environment outside the path are not powered. Furthermore, since the expected driving path is straight, the scanning of the expected vehicle path is symmetrical about the vehicle's central axis. Therefore, the number of mirrors operated to scan the right field of view is equal to the number of mirrors operated to scan the left field of view, which is to the right of the central axis 611 from the operator's viewpoint, and the left field of view is to the left of the central axis 611 from the operator's viewpoint.

[0130] In some examples, in addition to vehicle speed and expected vehicle paths, the amount of vehicle traffic and / or non-vehicle traffic can be monitored (e.g., via one or more cameras scanning the vehicle environment, one or more other lidar sensors, one or more other sensors monitoring the vehicle environment), and the field of view can be expanded 626 in response to traffic volume exceeding a threshold.

[0131] Figure 6B Exemplary field-of-view adjustments 630 and 640 of the lidar sensor 610 are illustrated when the curvature of the expected vehicle path is greater than a lower threshold and less than an upper threshold. For example, the curvature can be inferred from the degree of turning sensed by a steering angle sensor. Additionally or alternatively, the expected vehicle curvature can be determined using input from one or more of the following: a vehicle navigation system, a camera acquiring information about the vehicle's environment, and other imaging and ranging sensors.

[0132] At 630, the expected vehicle path 639 turns left (from the vehicle operator's perspective or regarding the direction of travel looking forward towards the expected vehicle path). In response to the curvature on the left side of the expected vehicle path 639, the first and second mirrors in the rightmost area outside the path are not operated (i.e., not powered), while the third, fourth, and fifth mirrors in the areas on the side of the expected vehicle path and directly adjacent to the expected vehicle path are operated (i.e. powered) to scan the field of view 636. Furthermore, the sixth mirror in the leftmost area, which is outside the path and neither inside nor directly adjacent to the expected vehicle path, is not operated. In this way, one or more mirrors in the outside environment that are neither inside nor directly adjacent to the expected vehicle path are not operated. Specifically, a greater number of mirrors in the opposite direction to the turning direction are not operated to scan the opposite outside environment, while a smaller number of mirrors (or none depending on the degree of curvature) are operated to scan objects outside the path in the turning direction. Therefore, the number of mirrors being operated is reduced, which lowers power consumption and reduces the computational workload on the LiDAR processor and / or vehicle processor used to generate depth maps.

[0133] Furthermore, as shown at 640, the expected vehicle path 649 turns to the right, so the fifth and sixth mirrors that scan the leftmost path's external environment and the first mirror that scans the rightmost path's external environment are not operated. Instead, the second, third, and fourth mirrors that scan the expected vehicle path 649 and the threshold area around the expected vehicle path 649 are operated to scan within the field of view 646.

[0134] also, Figure 6C Exemplary field-of-view adjustments 650 and 660 of a lidar system 610 are illustrated when the curvature of the expected vehicle path exceeds an upper threshold (sharp bend). Due to the greater curvature of the expected vehicle path, instead of operating a greater number of mirrors scanning the environment outside the path in the direction opposite to the turning direction, one or more additional mirrors are operated in the turning direction to cover the scan of the expected vehicle path and the threshold area on the side of the expected vehicle path and directly adjacent to it. Specifically, at 650, the expected vehicle path 659 bends to the left, so the first, second, and third mirrors scanning the right-side area are not operated, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth mirrors are operated to scan within the field of view 657. The sixth mirror (scanning field of view 606) may not operate normally; however, due to the sharp curvature of the expected vehicle path, the sixth mirror can be operated to scan the leftmost area within the field of view 606. Similarly, at 660, the vehicle path 669 is expected to turn to the right, and in response to the curvature being greater than the upper limit threshold, the first, second, and third mirrors are operated to scan within the field of view 667, while the fourth, fifth, and sixth mirrors are not operated because they scan the environment outside the path in the direction opposite to the turning direction.

[0135] Here, by reducing the number of mirrors in the detection environment, power consumption and computational workload are improved.

[0136] Furthermore, in some implementations, more than one lidar sensor can be operated. For example, a second lidar sensor mounted to the right of sensor 610 and a third lidar sensor mounted to the left of sensor 610 can be used to scan the environment. In such examples, the second and third lidar sensors can be controlled in a manner similar to that of sensor 610. Therefore, although some overlap may exist in areas scanned by different lidar units, the high level of redundancy in lidar scanning is reduced, resulting in improved power management and computational resource management.

[0137] In one implementation, the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth lidar systems can scan a first field of view 601, a second field of view 602, a third field of view 603, a fourth field of view 604, a fifth field of view 605, and a sixth field of view 606. In some examples, the first to sixth lidar systems can be configured to scan the lidar systems (e.g., ...). Figure 2A or Figure 2B The above-described adjustments and controls can be implemented with respect to the entire lidar system or any type of lidar system (scanning, flash, etc.) without departing from the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, although the above examples are described using six mirrors / units, the above adjustments and controls can be implemented with respect to the entire lidar system or any type of lidar system (scanning, flash, etc.) without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0138] like Figure 1A , Figure 1B , Figure 2A and Figures 2B to 3 As shown, the lidar system according to this disclosure may be part of a vehicle, and the methods 300, 400 and 450 according to this disclosure may be executed via an onboard computing system, a processor of the lidar system, or a combination thereof.

[0139] The embodiments have been described for purposes of illustration and description. Suitable modifications and alterations to the embodiments can be made in light of the foregoing description, or such modifications and alterations can be obtained through practical methods. The methods can be executed by using a combination of one or more logical devices (e.g., a processor) and one or more additional hardware elements, such as storage devices, memories, hardware network interfaces / antennas, switches, actuators, clock circuits, etc. The described methods and associated actions can also be performed in various orders other than those described in this application, in parallel, and / or simultaneously. Furthermore, the described methods can be repeated. The described systems are exemplary in nature and may include additional elements and / or omit elements. The subject matter of this disclosure includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and sub-combinations of the various systems and configurations disclosed with other features, functions, and / or properties.

[0140] As used herein, an element or step described in the singular and followed by the word "a" should be understood to not exclude multiple said elements or steps, unless such exclusion is specified. Furthermore, references to "an embodiment" or "an example" in this disclosure are not intended to be construed as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the described features. The terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used merely as illustrative marks and are not intended to impose numerical requirements or a particular order on their objects. The appended claims specifically point to subject matter deemed novel and non-obvious from the foregoing disclosure.

Claims

1. A method comprising: The field of view of the lidar sensor is adjusted according to the number of MEMS mirrors in a plurality of microelectromechanical MEMS mirrors mounted on the vehicle, the number of MEMS mirrors being operated to scan the external environment of the vehicle; wherein the number of MEMS mirrors is determined based on one or more of the vehicle speed and the expected vehicle path. Reduce the number of MEMS mirrors that operate in response to vehicle speeds dropping below a threshold speed; Reducing the number of MEMS mirrors being operated includes: stopping power supply to an equal number of MEMS mirrors that scan the path outside the desired field of view on both sides, and instead powering a second number of MEMS mirrors that scan the desired field of view, which includes the expected vehicle path and a threshold region on the side of the expected vehicle path and directly adjacent to the expected vehicle path.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the field of view includes selectively processing sensor data acquired via the number of MEMS mirrors.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: In response to a vehicle speed exceeding a threshold speed, the field of view is adjusted to a wider field of view by operating a first number of MEMS mirrors; as well as In response to the vehicle speed being less than the threshold speed, the field of view is adjusted to a narrower field of view by operating a second number of MEMS mirrors; The first number of the MEMS mirrors is greater than the second number of the mirrors.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising: In response to the curvature of the expected vehicle path being less than a lower threshold, a third number of MEMS mirrors are operated to scan the desired field of view of the lidar sensor according to the vehicle speed. as well as When the vehicle is operating at the vehicle speed and in response to the curvature of the expected vehicle path being greater than the lower threshold and less than the upper threshold, power is not supplied to the first portion of the third number of mirrors, but power is supplied to the remaining portions of the third number of mirrors, the first portion of the third number of MEMS mirrors scanning the external environment outside the vehicle's path in a direction opposite to the turning direction of the curvature of the expected vehicle path.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising: When the vehicle is operating at the vehicle speed and in response to the curvature of the expected vehicle path being greater than the upper threshold, power is not supplied to the second portion of the third number of MEMS mirrors, but power is supplied to the fourth number of MEMS mirrors, which includes the second remaining portion of the third number of MEMS mirrors and one or more additional mirrors that scan the internal and external environment of the path in the turning direction. The second portion of the third number of MEMS mirrors scans the external environment outside the vehicle's second path in a direction opposite to the turning direction; and The second part is larger than the first part.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the field of view comprises selectively actuating the number of MEMS mirrors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the expected vehicle path is determined based on one or more of a steering angle sensor, a vehicle position sensor, one or more cameras acquiring information about the external environment of the vehicle, one or more additional imaging and ranging sensors, an inertial measurement sensor, and a navigation sensor.

8. A system comprising: Vehicle computing system; A lidar sensor system coupled to the vehicle and including a processor communicatively coupled to the computing system, a plurality of microelectromechanical MEMS mirrors for scanning within the field of view of the lidar sensor system, and one or more MEMS mirror drivers communicatively coupled to the processor. Multiple sensors, which are communicatively coupled to the vehicle computing system, include a vehicle speed sensor and a steering angle sensor; as well as A storage device that stores instructions executed by the processor to perform the following operations: The expected vehicle path is determined based on one or more of the steering angle indication from the steering angle sensor and the vehicle speed indication from the vehicle speed sensor. The field of view of the lidar sensor system is adjusted according to the expected vehicle path. Reduce the number of MEMS mirrors that operate in response to vehicle speeds dropping below a threshold speed; The field of view is adjusted by changing the number of powered MEMS mirrors; Reducing the number of MEMS mirrors being operated includes: stopping power supply to an equal number of MEMS mirrors that scan the path outside the desired field of view on both sides, and instead powering a second number of MEMS mirrors that scan the desired field of view, which includes the expected vehicle path and a threshold region on the side of the expected vehicle path and directly adjacent to the expected vehicle path.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the actuation of the number of MEMS mirrors is individually controlled via the one or more MEMS mirror drivers.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the storage device further comprises instructions executed by the processor to perform the following operations: Reduce the number of MEMS mirrors that operate in response to an increase in curvature of the expected vehicle path exceeding a threshold curvature degree; Reducing the number of MEMS mirrors being operated includes stopping power supply to one or more MEMS mirrors scanning the path external environment that does not include the second desired field of view, the path external environment being in the opposite direction to the turning direction of the vehicle along the desired vehicle path, and power supply to a third number of MEMS mirrors scanning the second desired field of view, the second desired field of view including the desired vehicle path and a threshold region on the side of the desired vehicle path and directly adjacent to the desired vehicle path.

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