US 11,994,589 B2
Vapor detection in lidar point cloud
Pranay Agrawal, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to GM Cruise Holdings LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed by GM Cruise Holdings LLC, San Francisco, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/835,226.
Prior Publication US 2021/0302583 A1, Sep. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. G01S 17/89 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 17/89 (2013.01) [G01S 7/481 (2013.01); G01S 7/497 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle propulsion system;
a braking system;
a steering system;
a lidar sensor system; and
a computing system that is in communication with the vehicle propulsion system, the braking system, the steering system, and the lidar sensor system, wherein the computing system comprises:
a processor; and
memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform acts comprising:
receiving dual return lidar data outputted by the lidar sensor system, the dual return lidar data comprising two lidar returns per channel detected responsive to a light beam emitted by the lidar sensor system into a driving environment of the autonomous vehicle;
assigning a label to an object captured in the dual return lidar data comprising the two lidar returns per channel, wherein the label identifies a type of the object, wherein the label is assigned based upon a probability determined for the type of the object from amongst a predefined set of types, wherein the predefined set of types comprises vapor, wherein the probability is determined for the type of the object based on the dual return lidar data comprising the two lidar returns per channel, wherein the probability is determined for the type of the object being at a first range value corresponding to a strongest lidar return in the dual return lidar data, and wherein the probability is determined based on the first range value, a first intensity value of the strongest lidar return, a second range value corresponding to a farthest lidar return in the dual return lidar data, and a second intensity value of the farthest lidar return; and
controlling at least one of the vehicle propulsion system, the braking system, or the steering system based on the label assigned to the object, wherein the vehicle propulsion system, the braking system, and the steering system are controlled such that the object is ignored when the object is assigned the label of vapor.