US 11,685,396 B2
Architecture for automation and fail operational automation
Fernando A. Mujica, Los Altos, CA (US); Mark P. Colosky, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Paul A. Baker, Los Altos, CA (US); Joyce Y. Kwong, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Leland W. Lew, Los Altos, CA (US)
Appl. No. 16/959,177
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
PCT Filed Jan. 11, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/013186
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 30, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/140185, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 18, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/616,068, filed on Jan. 11, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0362740 A1, Nov. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. B60W 60/00 (2020.01); G01C 21/34 (2006.01); G01C 21/36 (2006.01); G01S 13/66 (2006.01); G01S 13/86 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 60/001 (2020.02) [G01C 21/3407 (2013.01); G01C 21/3602 (2013.01); G01S 13/66 (2013.01); G01S 13/865 (2013.01); G01S 13/867 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); B60W 2420/42 (2013.01); B60W 2420/52 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automation system comprising:
at least one sensor pod, wherein the at least one sensor pod comprises at least one sensor, a local processing complex in the sensor pod, and a network interface controller, wherein the local processing complex comprises one or more processors and a memory, and wherein the local processing complex is configured to capture sensor data from the at least one sensor in the memory and is configured to process the sensor data in the at least one processor to generate object data that describes objects in a field of view of the at least one sensor;
a communication network coupled to the network interface controller in the sensor pod, wherein the local processing complex is configured to transmit object data identifying the objects through the network interface controller and over the communication network; and
an automation controller coupled to the communication network, wherein the automation controller is coupled to receive the object data from the at least one sensor pod over the communication network, and wherein the automation controller is configured to process the object data to generate navigation data describing a navigation path for a vehicle controlled by the automation system.