LiDAR Video Encoding for Multiple Return Signal Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lidar data encoding methods are inefficient when multiple return signals are generated by a single laser ray, leading to significant data volume and compression challenges.
Innovation Solution
A method and encoder that represent lidar data frames as video sequences, stacking lidar measurement values from different return signals into distinct image portions within an image frame, using pixel grids and color channels to facilitate efficient encoding and compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If lidar data is compressed using image or video compression techniques, then data transmission and storage efficiency is improved, but handling multiple return signals from a single laser ray becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image frame into multiple image portions, where each image portion corresponds to a specific return signal from a laser ray. This segmentation allows each return signal to be independently represented and processed, making it easier to handle multiple return signals while maintaining compression efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an additional dimension by stacking image portions for different return signals along a new axis (e.g., depth or time dimension). This dimensional transformation allows multiple return signals to be represented in a structured manner within the video sequence, simplifying the handling complexity while preserving all return signal information.
2Productivity
If lidar data is represented as a two-dimensional color image, then compression techniques can be applied, but multiple return signals from the same ray cannot be efficiently represented
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image frame into multiple image portions, with each portion dedicated to representing a specific return signal. This segmentation enables the preservation of multiple return signals while maintaining the image-based compression framework, thus preventing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent nests multiple image portions representing different return signals within a single video sequence structure. Each image portion is nested in a way that preserves the hierarchical relationship between return signals, allowing all return signals to be represented without information loss while still benefiting from video compression.
3Quantity of substance
If lidar data volume is reduced through compression, then transmission and storage requirements are decreased, but object identification capability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments lidar data into multiple image portions corresponding to different return signals, allowing selective processing and compression. This segmentation enables the preservation of critical object identification information while compressing less important data, thus reducing data volume without compromising object identification capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different compression strategies to different image portions based on their importance for object identification. Critical regions containing object identification information are preserved with higher quality, while less critical regions are compressed more aggressively, thereby reducing overall data volume while maintaining object identification reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for encoding lidar data where subsequent frames of lidar data to be encoded are received. Each frame of lidar data comprises a number of lidar return signals for each of a plurality of rays emitted at a respective elevation and azimuth angle by a lidar, and each lidar return signal includes lidar measurement values. Each frame of lidar data is then represented as an image frame of a video sequence, wherein, for each ray of the plurality of rays of the frame of lidar data, lidar measurement values of different lidar return signals are represented in different image portions of the image frame. The different image portions are stacked after each other in a row direction or a column direction of the image frame. The video sequence is then encoded using video encoding.