US 12,276,982 B2
Sensor layout techniques
Xiaoling Han, San Diego, CA (US); Chenzhe Qian, San Diego, CA (US); Chiyu Zhang, Tucson, AZ (US); Charles A. Price, San Diego, CA (US); Joshua Miguel Rodriguez, Tucson, AZ (US); Lei Nie, Tucson, AZ (US); Lingting Ge, San Diego, CA (US); Panqu Wang, San Diego, CA (US); Pengfei Chen, San Diego, CA (US); Shuhan Yang, Tucson, AZ (US); Xiangchen Zhao, San Diego, CA (US); Xiaodi Hou, San Diego, CA (US); and Zehua Huang, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to TUSIMPLE, INC., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by TuSimple, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Feb. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/167,993.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/268,258, filed on Feb. 18, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0266759 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 50/023 (2012.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC G05D 1/0088 (2013.01) 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor system installed in a vehicle, wherein the sensor system includes three layers, comprising:
a first group of sensing devices configured to allow a first level of autonomous operation of the vehicle, including an advanced perception camera, a stereo camera, a night assistant camera, and a near range camera, multiple radars and a long range LiDAR device;
a second group of sensing devices configured to allow a second level of autonomous operation of the vehicle, the second group of sensing devices including primary sensing devices and backup sensing devices, wherein the second group of sensing devices includes a primary perception camera, a back-up perception camera, a primary perception LiDAR device, a back-up perception LiDAR device, a primary GNSS/IMU (global navigation satellite system/inertial measurement unit), and a back-up GNSS/IMU;
a third group of sensing devices configured to allow the vehicle to perform a safe stop maneuver, the third group of sensing devices including an independent vehicle control logic configured to detect an occurrence of a failure in at least one of the first group of sensing devices and the second group of the sensing devices based on predetermined rules, wherein the third group of sensing devices includes a safe stop camera, a safe stop radar, and an independent OD (object detection) ECU (electronic control unit); and
a control element communicatively coupled to the first group of sensing devices, the second group of sensing devices, and the third group of sensing devices, the control element to:
receive data from at least one of the first group of sensing devices, the second group of sensing devices, or the third group of sensing devices,
determine a desired level for operation of the vehicle based on analysis of the received data performed by an algorithm, and
provide a control signal to a sensing device based on the desired level and categorization information indicating a group to which the sensing device belongs,
wherein the independent vehicle control logic is to bring the vehicle to a safe stop in response to a determination that a subset of sensing devices in the second group of sensing devices are unavailable to allow the vehicle to safely operate in an operational mode associated with the first group of sensing devices or the third group of sensing devices.