Vertically stacked lidar components

Abstract

Various technologies described herein relate to a vertically stacked lidar assembly for an autonomous vehicle. The vertically stacked lidar assembly includes a first lidar sensor system configured to rotate about an axis and a second lidar sensor system configured to rotate about an axis. In the vertically stacked lidar assembly, the first lidar sensor system is vertically stacked above the second lidar sensor system. Furthermore, the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are coaxially aligned. Redundancy is provided by the vertically stacked lidar assembly including the first and second lidar sensor systems.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 911,979, filed on October 7, 2019, entitled “VERTICALLYSTACKED LIDAR ASSEMBLY,” which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background Art

[0003] An autonomous vehicle is a motor vehicle that can navigate without a human driver. An exemplary autonomous vehicle includes multiple sensor systems, such as, but not limited to, a lidar sensor system, a radar sensor system, a camera sensor system, and the like. The autonomous vehicle is controlled based on sensor signals output by the sensor systems. For example, a lidar sensor system may emit a laser into an environment. The laser may be reflected from (one or more) objects in the environment and returned to a detector of the lidar sensor system. The characteristics of the reflected laser light received at the detector of the lidar sensor system may be measured to generate a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud indicating the position of the object in the environment surrounding the lidar sensor system. In addition, the lidar sensor system may also detect the velocity of objects in the environment relative to the lidar sensor system. The mechanical systems (e.g., steering system, braking system, or propulsion system) of the autonomous vehicle may be controlled based on the generated point cloud.

[0004] Some conventional autonomous vehicles include more than one roof-mounted lidar sensor system for redundancy purposes. Thus, if one of the roof-mounted lidar sensor systems fails, the redundant roof-mounted lidar sensor system can enable the autonomous vehicle to continue operating. However, in various conventional autonomous vehicle architectures, a first roof-mounted lidar sensor system may obstruct a portion of the field of view of a second roof-mounted lidar sensor system in the azimuth direction (and vice versa) due to the relative positions of the roof-mounted lidar sensor systems mounted on the autonomous vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The following is a brief summary of the subject matter that is described in greater detail herein. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of the claims.

[0006] Various technologies related to a vertically stacked lidar assembly for an autonomous vehicle are described herein. The vertically stacked lidar assembly includes a first lidar sensor system configured to spin about an axis and a second lidar sensor system configured to spin about the axis. In the vertically stacked lidar assembly, the first lidar sensor system is vertically stacked above the second lidar sensor system. Furthermore, the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are coaxially aligned. Redundancy is provided by the vertically stacked lidar assembly including the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system.

[0007] According to various embodiments, the spin rate of the first lidar sensor system can be different from the spin rate of the second lidar sensor system. According to other embodiments, the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system can rotate about the axis at a common spin rate. A higher spin rate can result in a higher update rate but a lower density of points in the 3D point cloud generated by the lidar sensor system, while a lower spin rate can result in a lower update rate but a higher density of points in the 3D point cloud generated by the lidar sensor system. According to an example, the spin rate of the first lidar sensor system and / or the spin rate of the second lidar sensor system can be dynamically adjusted over time; however, it is also contemplated that the spin rates need not change over time.

[0008] In various embodiments, the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system can have different angular ranges in the elevation direction. In other embodiments, the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system can have substantially similar angular ranges in the elevation direction.

[0009] The above overview presents a simplified overview in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the systems and / or methods discussed herein. This overview is not an extensive overview of the systems and / or methods discussed herein. This overview is not intended to identify key / determining elements or to describe the scope of such systems and / or methods. The sole purpose of this overview is to present some concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description that will be presented later. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 Shown are a top view of an exemplary autonomous vehicle including vertically stacked lidar assemblies and an exploded side view of the upper portion of an autonomous vehicle including vertically stacked lidar assemblies.

[0011] Figure 2An exemplary environment is shown that includes a bus and an autonomous vehicle having a side-by-side lidar sensor system mounted on its roof.

[0012] Figures 3 and 4 An exemplary side view of a vertically stacked lidar assembly mounted on the roof of an autonomous vehicle is shown.

[0013] Figure 5 An exemplary block diagram of an autonomous vehicle including vertically stacked lidar assemblies is shown.

[0014] Figure 6 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method of operating a vertically stacked lidar assembly for an autonomous vehicle.

[0015] Figure 7 An exemplary computing device is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Various technologies related to a lidar assembly including a plurality of vertically stacked lidar sensor systems for autonomous vehicles are now described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout the text. In the following description, for purposes of illustration, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. However, it will be apparent that one or more such aspects may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form to facilitate description of one or more aspects. In addition, it will be understood that functions described as being performed by certain system components may be performed by multiple components. Similarly, for example, a component may be configured to perform functions described as being performed by multiple components.

[0017] Furthermore, the term "or" is intended to mean an inclusive or rather than an exclusive or. That is, unless specified otherwise or clear from the context, the phrase "X employs A or B" is intended to mean any of the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase "X employs A or B" satisfies any of the following: X employs A; X employs B; or X employs both A and B. Furthermore, the articles "a" and "an" as used in this application and the appended claims should generally be construed to mean "one or more" unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to the singular.

[0018] As used herein, the terms "component" and "system" are intended to encompass computer-readable data storage configured with computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause certain functions to be performed. Computer-executable instructions may include routines, functions, and the like. It should also be understood that a component or system may be located on a single device or distributed across several devices. Furthermore, as used herein, the term "exemplary" is intended to mean "serving as an illustration or example of something." Furthermore, as used herein, the terms "perception algorithm" and "computer-implemented perception algorithm" may be used interchangeably.

[0019] As described herein, one aspect of the present technology is the collection and use of data available from various sources to improve quality and experience. The present disclosure contemplates that, in some cases, the collected data may include personal information. The present disclosure contemplates that entities involving such personal information respect and honor privacy policies and practices.

[0020] Turning now to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 An exemplary autonomous vehicle 100 is shown. A top view of the autonomous vehicle 100 is shown at 102, and an exploded side view of an upper portion of the autonomous vehicle 100 is shown at 104. As depicted, the autonomous vehicle 100 includes a vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 mounted on a roof 108 of the autonomous vehicle 100.

[0021] The vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 includes two lidar sensor systems stacked vertically, namely, a lidar sensor system 110 and a lidar sensor system 112 (collectively referred to herein as lidar sensor systems 110-112). In the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106, the lidar sensor system 110 is vertically stacked above the lidar sensor system 112. In addition, the lidar sensor systems 110-112 are coaxially aligned. Although the lidar sensor systems 110-112 are depicted as being vertically adjacent to each other, it is contemplated that the lidar sensor systems 110-112 can be separated from each other in the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 while still being coaxially aligned. In addition, although two vertically stacked lidar sensor systems 110-112 are described as being included in the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106, it is contemplated that the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 can include more than two vertically stacked lidar sensor systems.

[0022] LiDAR sensor systems 110-112 each rotate about a shared rotation axis 114. For each rotation of LiDAR sensor system 110 about axis 114, LiDAR sensor system 110 can generate a 3D point cloud of the environment near autonomous vehicle 100. LiDAR sensor system 110 can have an angular range of 360 degrees in the azimuth direction. Thus, the 3D point cloud generated by LiDAR sensor system 110 can include points located 360 degrees around axis 114. Similarly, for each rotation of LiDAR sensor system 112 about axis 114, LiDAR sensor system 112 can generate a 3D point cloud of the environment near autonomous vehicle 100. LiDAR sensor system 112 can also have an angular range of 360 degrees in the azimuth direction, and the 3D point cloud generated by LiDAR sensor system 112 can include points located 360 degrees around axis 114.

[0023] The vertically stacked lidar sensor systems 110-112 of the lidar assembly 106 provide redundancy. Thus, if one of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 fails, the autonomous vehicle 100 can continue to operate using the other lidar sensor system 110-112. By way of illustration, if the lidar sensor system 110 fails, the autonomous vehicle 100 can continue to operate using sensor data output by the lidar sensor system 112 (e.g., a 3D point cloud output by the lidar sensor system 112). According to this illustration, in response to a failure of the lidar sensor system 110, a stopping point for the autonomous vehicle 100 can be detected; the detection of the stopping point and / or the operation of the autonomous vehicle 100 to travel to and stop at the stopping point can be based at least in part on the sensor data output by the lidar sensor system 112.

[0024] The lidar sensor systems 110-112 independently rotate about a shared rotation axis 114. For example, a first motor may rotate the lidar sensor system 110 about the shared rotation axis 114, while a second motor may rotate the lidar sensor system 112 about the shared rotation axis 114. For example, the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 may include an outer shaft and an inner shaft, both of which rotate about the shared rotation axis 114 (e.g., the lidar sensor system 110 may be coupled to one of the outer shaft or the inner shaft, and the lidar sensor system 112 may be coupled to the other shaft).

[0025] According to an example, lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate at different rotation rates around shared rotation axis 114. According to another example, lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate at a common rotation rate around shared rotation axis 114. Furthermore, it is contemplated that the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 110 and / or the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 112 can change over time; however, claimed subject matter is not limited in this regard. As used herein, the term rotation rate refers to the frequency at which a lidar sensor system rotates around an axis of rotation.

[0026] Figure 1 The lidar sensor systems 110-112 are depicted as rotating counterclockwise from the perspective of the top view shown at 102. However, it should be understood that the claimed subject matter is not limited in this regard. For example, it is contemplated that the lidar sensor systems 110-112 can instead rotate clockwise from the perspective of the top view shown at 102. According to another example, one of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate clockwise while another of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate counterclockwise (from the perspective of the top view shown at 102).

[0027] refer to Figure 2 , an exemplary environment 200 is shown including an autonomous vehicle 202 and a bus 204. Autonomous vehicle 202 includes two side-by-side roof-mounted lidar sensor systems, lidar sensor system 206 and lidar sensor system 208 (collectively referred to herein as lidar sensor systems 206-208). Figure 2 The lidar sensor systems 206-208 of the autonomous vehicle 200 in the example are not vertically stacked.

[0028] Lidar sensor systems 206-208 rotate about different rotational axes. Lidar sensor systems 206-208 are mounted on the roof of autonomous vehicle 200 such that lidar sensor system 206 obscures a portion of the field of view of lidar sensor system 208, and lidar sensor system 208 obscures a portion of the field of view of lidar sensor system 206. For example, lidar sensor system 206 may be inhibited from emitting laser light at lidar sensor system 208 (and lidar sensor system 208 may be inhibited from emitting laser light at lidar sensor system 206). Thus, during the rotation of lidar sensor system 206 about an axis, when lidar sensor system 206 is pointing toward lidar sensor system 208, lidar sensor system 206 is inhibited from emitting laser light (and reflected laser light is not received when lidar sensor system 206 is pointing toward lidar sensor system 208).

[0029] exist Figure 2 , lidar sensor system 206 can detect the front of bus 204 (within the portion of the field of view represented by line 210) and the rear of bus 204 (within the portion of the field of view represented by line 212). Lidar sensor system 208 blocks lidar sensor system 206 from detecting the portion of bus 204 between the front and the rear. Additionally, lidar sensor system 208 can detect the entire bus 204 (within the portion of the field of view represented by line 214). Therefore, lidar sensor system 206 can detect bus 204 as two objects, while lidar sensor system 208 can detect bus 204 as one object. However, the perception system of autonomous vehicle 200 may have difficulty associating the one object detected by lidar sensor system 208 with the two objects detected by lidar sensor system 206. Figure 2 Compared to the example shown in , the vertically stacked lidar assemblies 106 of the autonomous vehicle 100 can mitigate the above situation (e.g., because both lidar sensor systems 110-112 have a 360-degree angular range about axis 114 in the azimuth direction, because lidar sensor system 110 does not obstruct a portion of the field of view of lidar sensor system 112, and because lidar sensor system 112 does not obstruct a portion of the field of view of lidar sensor system 110).

[0030] Reference again Figure 1 . The rotation rate of the lidar sensor system (e.g., lidar sensor systems 110-112) is proportional to the update rate of the detected objects and inversely proportional to the point density of the 3D point cloud generated by the lidar sensor system. For example, if the lidar sensor system rotates at a rotation rate of 10 Hz, the characteristics (e.g., position, velocity) of an object in the environment of the autonomous driving vehicle 100 can be detected once every 100 milliseconds. In contrast, if the lidar sensor system rotates at a rotation rate of 20 Hz, the characteristics (e.g., position, velocity) of the object can be detected once every 50 milliseconds. However, the 3D point cloud generated by the lidar sensor system rotating at 10 Hz can include substantially twice the number of points as compared to the 3D point cloud generated by the lidar sensor system rotating at 20 Hz.

[0031] According to various embodiments, lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate at different rotation rates. According to an example, lidar sensor system 110 can rotate around axis 114 faster than lidar sensor system 112 rotates around axis 114 (e.g., the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 110 can be greater than the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 112). According to this example, lidar sensor system 110 can generate more frequent 3D point cloud updates compared to lidar sensor system 112. Further referring to this example, lidar sensor system 110 can update characteristics of objects in the environment of autonomous vehicle 100 (e.g., the position of the objects, the velocity of the objects) more frequently than lidar sensor system 112. According to the description, updating the characteristics of the objects more frequently can facilitate tracking the objects (e.g., obtaining more frequent updates of the position and velocity of the objects). In addition, the 3D point cloud generated by lidar sensor system 112 can include more points than the 3D point cloud generated by lidar sensor system 110. For example, an object at a relatively long distance from autonomous vehicle 100 may be detected by the perception system of autonomous vehicle 100 based on a 3D point cloud comprising more points generated by lidar sensor system 112 (whereas the perception system may not be able to detect an object at a relatively long distance based on a 3D point cloud comprising fewer points generated by lidar sensor system 110). Thus, again following the continuing example, lidar sensor system 112 may be used for object detection at a longer distance than lidar sensor system 110.

[0032] Continuing with the above example, in which lidar sensor system 110 rotates faster than lidar sensor system 112, according to the illustration, lidar sensor system 110 can have a rotation rate within a range between 10 Hz and 20 Hz, while lidar sensor system 112 can have a rotation rate within a range between 5 Hz and 10 Hz. According to an example, the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 110 can be 20 Hz, while the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 112 can be 10 Hz. According to another example, the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 110 can be 10 Hz, while the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 112 can be 5 Hz. However, it should be understood that other ranges of rotation rates or combinations of rotation rates are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, while lidar sensor system 110 is described as rotating faster than lidar sensor system 112, in other examples, it is contemplated that lidar sensor system 112 can rotate faster than lidar sensor system 110.

[0033] According to an example, vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 may include one or more angle encoders that can read the azimuth angles of lidar sensor system 110 and lidar sensor system 112. Thus, the rotation rate of lidar sensor systems 110-112 can be determined using the angle encoder(s). For example, feedback from the angle encoders can be used to control the rotation rate of the lidar sensor systems.

[0034] Now turn Figure 3 , shows another exemplary side view of a vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 mounted on a roof 108 of an autonomous vehicle (e.g., autonomous vehicle 100). Again, vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 includes lidar sensor system 110 vertically stacked above lidar sensor system 112, where both lidar sensor systems 110-112 rotate about a shared rotation axis 114. Lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate at different rotation rates or a common rotation rate.

[0035] In various embodiments, the lidar sensor systems 110-112 may have different angular ranges in the elevation direction. Figure 3 As depicted in the example of FIG, angular range 302 in the elevation direction of lidar sensor system 110 may be greater than angular range 304 in the elevation direction of lidar sensor system 112. Thus, lidar sensor system 110 may have a wider field of view in the elevation direction than lidar sensor system 112.

[0036] according to Figure 3 , the wider field of view of lidar sensor system 110 in the elevation direction can accommodate changes in elevation as autonomous vehicle 100 travels within the environment (e.g., as autonomous vehicle 100 drives up or down a hill). The field of view of lidar sensor system 110 can also enable detection of objects that are relatively close to autonomous vehicle 100. Additionally, the beams can be more densely spaced in the field of view of lidar sensor system 112 than in the field of view of lidar sensor system 110. Consequently, the points in the 3D point cloud generated by lidar sensor system 112 can be denser than the points in the 3D point cloud generated by lidar sensor system 110 (e.g., which can facilitate detection of objects at greater distances from autonomous vehicle 100).

[0037] According to an example, lidar sensor system 110, which has a wider field of view in the elevation direction, can rotate faster about axis 114 than lidar sensor system 112 can rotate about axis 114 (e.g., the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 110 can be greater than the rotation rate of lidar sensor system 112). According to this example, objects at a relatively long distance from autonomous vehicle 100 can be detected by the perception system of autonomous vehicle 100 based on the 3D point cloud generated by lidar sensor system 112 (while the perception system may not be able to detect objects at a relatively long distance based on the 3D point cloud generated by lidar sensor system 110). Therefore, lidar sensor system 112 can be used for object detection at a longer distance than lidar sensor system 110. However, the claimed subject matter is not limited to the foregoing example (e.g., lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate at a common rotation rate, and lidar sensor system 112, which has a narrower field of view in the elevation direction, can rotate faster than lidar sensor system 110).

[0038] Furthermore, in other embodiments, it is contemplated that the angular range in the elevation direction of the lidar sensor system 112 may be greater than the angular range in the elevation direction of the lidar sensor system 110 .

[0039] Steering Figure 4 , shows yet another exemplary side view of a vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 mounted on a roof 108 of an autonomous vehicle (e.g., autonomous vehicle 100). Vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 includes a lidar sensor system 110 vertically stacked above a lidar sensor system 112, wherein both lidar sensor systems 110-112 rotate about a shared rotation axis 114. Likewise, lidar sensor systems 110-112 can rotate at different rotation rates or a common rotation rate.

[0040] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG, the lidar sensor systems 110-112 have substantially similar angular ranges in the elevation direction. Figure 4 As depicted in the example of FIG, angular range 402 in the elevation direction of lidar sensor system 110 can be substantially similar to angular range 404 in the elevation direction of lidar sensor system 112. Thus, lidar sensor systems 110-112 can have fields of view of substantially similar sizes in the elevation direction.

[0041] Steering Figure 5, shows a block diagram of an autonomous driving vehicle 100 according to various embodiments. The autonomous driving vehicle 100 can travel on a road without human guidance based on sensor data output by a sensor system of the autonomous driving vehicle 100. Figure 5 As shown, the autonomous vehicle 100 includes a vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 (which includes the lidar sensor systems 110-112 described herein). The autonomous vehicle 100 may also include sensor system 1 502, ... and sensor system N 504 (collectively referred to herein as sensor systems 502-504), where N can be substantially any integer greater than 1. The sensor systems 502-504 are of different types and are arranged around the autonomous vehicle 100. For example, sensor system 1 502 can be a radar sensor system, and sensor system N 504 can be a camera (image) sensor system. Other exemplary sensor systems included in the sensor systems 502-504 can include a GPS sensor system, a sonar sensor system, an infrared sensor system, a lidar sensor system (in addition to the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106), and the like.

[0042] The autonomous vehicle 100 also includes several mechanical systems for achieving appropriate movement of the autonomous vehicle 100. For example, the mechanical systems may include, but are not limited to, a vehicle propulsion system 506, a braking system 508, and a steering system 510. The vehicle propulsion system 506 may be an electric engine, an internal combustion engine, or a combination thereof. The braking system 508 may include engine braking, brake pads, actuators, and / or any other suitable components configured to assist in decelerating the autonomous vehicle 100. The steering system 510 includes suitable components configured to control the direction of movement of the autonomous vehicle 100.

[0043] The autonomous vehicle 100 also includes a computing system 512, which includes a processor 514 and a memory 516. The computing system 512 communicates with the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106, the sensor systems 502-504, the vehicle propulsion system 506, the braking system 508, and the steering system 510. The memory 516 of the computing system 512 includes computer-executable instructions that are executed by the processor 514. According to various examples, the processor 514 can be or include a graphics processing unit (GPU), multiple GPUs, a central processing unit (CPU), multiple CPUs, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a microcontroller, a programmable logic controller (PLC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), etc.

[0044] The lidar management system 518, the perception system 520, and the control system 522 may be loaded into the memory 516. However, in other embodiments, it is contemplated that the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 may additionally or alternatively include the lidar management system 518.

[0045] The lidar management system 518 can be configured to dynamically control the rotation rate of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 of the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106. For example, the lidar management system 518 can dynamically control the rotation rate of one or more of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 of the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 based on the geographic location of the autonomous vehicle 100, the time of day at which the autonomous vehicle 100 is operating, weather conditions in the autonomous vehicle's environment, the proximity of the autonomous vehicle 100 to one or more nearby objects in the environment (e.g., proximity to another vehicle, whether a pedestrian is nearby), the speed of the autonomous vehicle 100, and / or the acceleration of the autonomous vehicle 100. It should be understood that the lidar management system 518 can change the rotation rate of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 individually or as a group. According to another example, the lidar management system 518 can dynamically control the rotation rate of a different one of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 upon detecting a failure of one of the lidar sensor systems 110-112.

[0046] According to an example, when autonomous vehicle 100 is traveling in a city, lidar management system 518 may cause lidar sensor system 110 to rotate at 20 Hz and lidar sensor system 112 to rotate at 10 Hz. Further following this example, when autonomous vehicle 100 is traveling on a highway, lidar management system 518 may cause lidar sensor system 110 to rotate at 10 Hz and lidar sensor system 112 to rotate at 5 Hz. However, the claimed subject matter is not limited to the foregoing examples.

[0047] Additionally, perception system 520 is configured to assign labels to objects at various locations in the environment based on sensor data generated by lidar sensor systems 110 - 112 and sensor systems 502 - 504 of vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 .

[0048] Additionally, the control system 522 is configured to control at least one of the mechanical systems of the autonomous vehicle 100. Thus, the control system 132 may control the vehicle propulsion system 506, the braking system 508, and / or the steering system 510 to navigate the autonomous vehicle 100 through the environment based on the object(s) detected in the environment by the perception system 520.

[0049] Figure 6 Exemplary methods related to operating a vertically stacked lidar assembly for an autonomous vehicle are illustrated. Although these methods are illustrated and described as a series of actions performed sequentially, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order in which they are performed. For example, some actions may occur in a different order than described herein. Furthermore, one action may occur simultaneously with another action. Furthermore, in some cases, not all actions may be required to implement the methods described herein.

[0050] Furthermore, the actions described herein may be computer-executable instructions that may be implemented by one or more processors and / or stored on one or more computer-readable media. Computer-executable instructions may include routines, subroutines, programs, execution threads, etc. Furthermore, the results of the method actions may be stored on a computer-readable medium, displayed on a display device, etc.

[0051] Figure 6 A method 600 of operating a vertically stacked lidar assembly of an autonomous vehicle is shown. At 602, a first lidar sensor system of the vertically stacked lidar assembly can be controlled to rotate at a first rotational rate. At 604, a second lidar sensor system of the vertically stacked lidar assembly can be controlled to rotate at a second, different rotational rate. In the vertically stacked lidar assembly, the first lidar sensor system is stacked above the second lidar sensor system. In addition, the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are coaxially aligned (e.g., the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system rotate about a shared rotational axis). In addition, according to various examples, it is contemplated that the first rotational rate and / or the second rotational rate can be dynamically adjusted over time; however, the claimed subject matter is not limited in this regard.

[0052] Now refer to Figure 7 , shows a high-level diagram of an exemplary computing device 700 that can be used in accordance with the systems and methods disclosed herein. For example, computing device 700 can be or include computing system 512. Computing device 700 includes at least one processor 702 that executes instructions stored in memory 704. The instructions can be, for example, instructions for implementing the functions described as being performed by one or more of the systems discussed above or instructions for implementing one or more of the methods described above. Processor 702 can be a GPU, multiple GPUs, a CPU, multiple CPUs, a multi-core processor, etc. Processor 702 can access memory 704 via a system bus 706. In addition to storing executable instructions, memory 704 can also store sensor data, etc.

[0053] The computing device 700 further includes a data store 708 that is accessible by the processor 702 via the system bus 706. The data store 708 may include executable instructions, sensor data, and the like. The computing device 700 also includes an input interface 710 that allows external devices to communicate with the computing device 700. For example, the input interface 710 may be used to receive instructions from an external computer device, etc. The computing device 700 also includes an output interface 712 that interfaces the computing device 700 with one or more external devices. For example, the computing device 700 may transmit control signals to the vehicle propulsion system 506, the braking system 508, and / or the steering system 510 via the output interface 712. According to another example, the computing system 700 may transmit control signals to one or more of the lidar sensor systems 110-112 of the vertically stacked lidar assembly 106 to control the rotation rate(s).

[0054] Additionally, although shown as a single system, it should be understood that computing device 700 may be a distributed system. Thus, for example, several devices may communicate via a network connection and may jointly perform the tasks described as being performed by computing device 700.

[0055] The various functions described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions can be stored as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium or transmitted via the computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable storage media can be any available storage medium that can be accessed by a computer. For example, but not limited to, such computer-readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store the required program code in the form of instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a computer. Disks and optical disks as used herein include compact disks (CDs), laser disks, optical disks, digital versatile disks (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray disks (BDs), where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical disks reproduce data optically with lasers. In addition, propagation signals are not included within the scope of computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable storage media also include communication media, which include any media that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. The connection can be, for example, a communication medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, server or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL) or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave are included within the definition of communication media. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0056] Alternatively or in addition, the functions described herein may be performed at least in part by one or more hardware logic components. Illustrative types of hardware logic components that may be used include, for example, but are not limited to, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), application specific standard products (ASSPs), systems on chips (SOCs), complex programmable logic devices (CPLDs), and the like.

[0057] The foregoing includes examples of one or more embodiments. Of course, it is not possible to describe every conceivable modification and alteration of the above apparatus or method for the purposes of describing the aforementioned aspects, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that many additional modifications and permutations of the various aspects are possible. Accordingly, the described aspects are intended to encompass all such alterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent the term "comprising" is used in the detailed description or claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to that of the term "comprising" when used as a transitional word in a claim.

Claims

1. An autonomous driving vehicle comprising: The vertically stacked lidar assembly for an autonomous vehicle comprises: a first lidar sensor system configured to rotate about an axis, wherein the first lidar sensor system rotates 360 degrees about the axis at a first rotation rate, and wherein the first lidar sensor system outputs a first point cloud of an environment, the first point cloud comprising points 360 degrees about the axis; and a second lidar sensor system configured to rotate about the axis, wherein the second lidar sensor system rotates 360 degrees about the axis at a second rotation rate, wherein the second rotation rate is different from the first rotation rate, and wherein the second lidar sensor system outputs a second point cloud of the environment, the second point cloud comprising points 360 degrees about the axis; Wherein the first lidar sensor system is vertically stacked above the second lidar sensor system, and wherein the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are coaxially aligned.

2. The autonomous driving vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: Roof; Wherein, the vertically stacked lidar assembly is installed on the roof of the autonomous driving vehicle.

3. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: At least one of the first rotational rate of the first lidar sensor system or the second rotational rate of the second lidar sensor system is dynamically adjusted over time.

4. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system have different angular ranges in the elevation direction.

5. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are configured to rotate independently of each other about the axis.

6. The autonomous driving vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising: A computing system comprising: processor; and a memory storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform actions, the actions comprising: controlling the first lidar sensor system to rotate at a first rotation rate; and The second lidar sensor system is controlled to rotate at a second rotation rate.

7. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: At least one of the first rotation rate or the second rotation rate is controlled based on a geographic location of the autonomous vehicle.

8. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: At least one of the first rotation rate or the second rotation rate is controlled based on a current time of operation of the autonomous vehicle.

9. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: At least one of the first rotation rate or the second rotation rate is controlled based on weather conditions in an environment of the autonomous vehicle.

10. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: At least one of the first rotation rate or the second rotation rate is controlled based on a proximity of the autonomous vehicle to nearby objects in an environment.

11. The autonomous driving vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: At least one of the first rotation rate or the second rotation rate is controlled based on one or more of the speed of the autonomous vehicle or the acceleration of the autonomous vehicle.

12. A method of operating a vertically stacked lidar assembly for an autonomous vehicle, comprising: Controlling a first lidar sensor system of the vertically stacked lidar assembly to rotate 360 ​​degrees about an axis at a first rotation rate; outputting a first point cloud of the environment from the first lidar sensor system, the first point cloud comprising points 360 degrees around the axis; controlling a second lidar sensor system of the vertically stacked lidar assembly to rotate 360 ​​degrees about the axis at a second rotation rate, wherein the second rotation rate is different from the first rotation rate; as well as outputting a second point cloud of the environment from a second lidar sensor system, the second point cloud comprising points 360 degrees around the axis; Wherein the first lidar sensor system is vertically stacked above the second lidar sensor system, and wherein the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are coaxially aligned.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein: controlling the first lidar sensor system to rotate at the first rotational rate based on at least one of: a geographic location of the autonomous vehicle, a current time of operation of the autonomous vehicle, weather conditions in the autonomous vehicle's environment, proximity of the autonomous vehicle to nearby objects in the environment, a speed of the autonomous vehicle, or an acceleration of the autonomous vehicle; as well as The second lidar sensor system is controlled to rotate at the second rotation rate based on at least one of: the geographic location of the autonomous vehicle, the current time of operation of the autonomous vehicle, weather conditions in the environment of the autonomous vehicle, the proximity of the autonomous vehicle to nearby objects in the environment, the speed of the autonomous vehicle, or the acceleration of the autonomous vehicle.

14. The method according to claim 12, further comprising: In response to a failure of one of the first lidar sensor system or the second lidar sensor system, continue operation of the autonomous vehicle using sensor data from the other of the first lidar sensor system or the second lidar sensor system.

15. A vertically stacked lidar assembly for an autonomous vehicle, comprising: a first lidar sensor system configured to rotate about an axis, wherein the first lidar sensor system rotates 360 degrees about the axis at a first rate, and wherein the first lidar sensor system outputs a first point cloud of an environment, the first point cloud comprising points 360 degrees about the axis; and a second lidar sensor system configured to rotate about the axis, wherein the second lidar sensor system rotates 360 degrees about the axis at a second rotation rate, wherein the second rotation rate is different than the first rotation rate, and wherein the second lidar sensor system outputs a second point cloud of the environment, the second point cloud comprising points 360 degrees about the axis; Wherein the first lidar sensor system is vertically stacked above the second lidar sensor system, and wherein the first lidar sensor system and the second lidar sensor system are coaxially aligned.

16. The vertically stacked lidar assembly of claim 15, wherein: The update rate of the first lidar sensor system is different from the update rate of the second lidar sensor system.

17. The vertically stacked lidar assembly of claim 15, wherein: The density of points in a first 3D point cloud generated by the first lidar sensor system is different from the density of points in a second 3D point cloud generated by the second lidar sensor system.

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