US 12,230,018 B2
Free space estimator for autonomous movement
Xinkai Zhang, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Sihao Ding, Sunnyvale, CA (US); and Harshavardhan Reddy Dasari, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Assigned to Volvo Car Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
Filed by Volvo Car Corporation, Gothenburg (SE)
Filed on Jun. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/805,710.
Prior Publication US 2023/0394805 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. G06V 10/80 (2022.01); G01S 15/86 (2020.01); G01S 15/931 (2020.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/13 (2017.01)
CPC G06V 10/803 (2022.01) [G01S 15/86 (2020.01); G01S 15/931 (2013.01); G05D 1/0253 (2013.01); G06T 7/13 (2017.01); G06T 2207/30261 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a memory that stores computer executable components; and
a processor that executes at least one of the computer executable components that:
obtains, from one or more ultrasonic sensors, first raw data defining a first representation of an environment around an object from a vantage of the object;
generates, using the first raw data, first polygon measurements of a boundary of a first polygon, wherein the first polygon represents a first region extending from the object within a first combined measurement range of the one or more ultrasonic sensors that is free from obstacles;
obtains, from one or more camera sensors, second raw data defining a second representation of the environment around the object from the vantage of the object;
generates, using the second raw data, second polygon measurements of a boundary of a second polygon, wherein the second polygon represents a second region extending from the object within a second combined measurement range of the one or more camera sensors that is free from obstacles; and
generates, based on a defined process that employs a combination of the first polygon measurements and the second polygon measurements, third polygon measurements of a boundary of a virtual polygon representing an obstacle-free region about the object.
 
9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
obtaining, by a system operatively coupled to a processor, from one or more ultrasonic sensors, first raw data defining a first representation of an environment around a vehicle from a vantage of the vehicle;
generating, by the system, using the first raw data, first polygon measurements of a boundary of a first polygon, wherein the first polygon represents a first region extending from the vehicle within a first combined measurement range of the one or more ultrasonic sensors that is free from obstacles;
obtaining, by the system, from one or more camera sensors, second raw data defining a second representation of the environment around the vehicle from the vantage of the vehicle;
generating, using the second raw data, second polygon measurements of a boundary of a second polygon, wherein the second polygon represents a second region extending from the vehicle within a second combined measurement range of the one or more camera sensors that is free from obstacles; and
generating, by the system, based on a defined process that employs a combination of the first polygon measurements and the second polygon measurements, third polygon measurements of a boundary of a virtual polygon representing an obstacle-free region about the vehicle.
 
17. A computer program product providing a process to determine free space around an object, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
obtain, from one or more ultrasonic sensors, first raw data defining a first representation of an environment around a vehicle from a vantage of the vehicle;
generate, using the first raw data, first polygon measurements of a boundary of a first polygon, wherein the first polygon represents a first region extending from the vehicle within a first combined measurement range of the one or more ultrasonic sensors that is free from obstacles;
obtain, from one or more camera sensors, second raw data defining a second representation of the environment around the vehicle from the vantage of the vehicle;
generate, using the second raw data, second polygon measurements of a boundary of a second polygon, wherein the second polygon represents a second region extending from the vehicle within a second combined measurement range of the one or more camera sensors that is free from obstacles; and
generate, based on a defined process that employs a combination of the first polygon measurements and the second polygon measurements, third polygon measurements of a boundary of a virtual polygon representing an obstacle-free region about the vehicle.