US 11,753,003 B2
Surface normal determination for LIDAR range samples by detecting probe pulse stretching
Adam Berger, Mountain View, CA (US); Ryan McMichael, Mountain View, CA (US); and Bertrand Robert Douillard, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed by Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 7, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/785,219.
Application 16/785,219 is a continuation of application No. 15/487,010, filed on Apr. 13, 2017, granted, now 10,556,585.
Prior Publication US 2020/0172095 A1, Jun. 4, 2020
Int. Cl. B60W 30/09 (2012.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G08G 1/16 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 30/09 (2013.01) [G01S 17/42 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); G05D 1/0214 (2013.01); G05D 1/0236 (2013.01); G08G 1/16 (2013.01); B60W 2420/52 (2013.01); B60W 2510/20 (2013.01); B60W 2554/00 (2020.02); B60W 2710/20 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device comprising:
a laser emitter to emit a first laser pulse and a second laser pulse;
a sensor to sense a first return pulse associated with the first laser pulse reflected from a surface, and a second return pulse associated with the second laser pulse; and
one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
determining a first surface area of the surface based, at least in part, on the first return pulse;
determining a second surface area of the surface based, at least in part, on the second return pulse;
determining a first orientation of the surface based, at least in part, on a comparison between a first width of the first laser pulse and a second width of the first return pulse; and
determining a surface discontinuity between the first surface area and the second surface area based, at least in part, on a comparison between the first orientation and a second orientation of the second surface area.