US 12,085,647 B2
LIDAR occlusion detection methods and systems
Paul Karplus, Redwood City, CA (US); Blaise Gassend, East Palo Alto, CA (US); Nicholas Armstrong-Crews, Mountain View, CA (US); and Scott McCloskey, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 22, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/131,594.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/954,338, filed on Dec. 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0199801 A1, Jul. 1, 2021
Int. Cl. G01C 3/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 7/486 (2020.01); G01S 17/18 (2020.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 17/18 (2020.01) [G01S 7/484 (2013.01); G01S 7/486 (2013.01); G01S 7/4817 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
scanning, by a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device mounted to a mounting structure, at least a portion of the mounting structure that is within a field-of-view (FOV) of the LIDAR device, wherein the mounting structure is coupled to a vehicle, wherein the scanning comprises:
transmitting, through an optical window, light pulses in different directions toward the mounting structure, and
receiving, through the optical window, reflected light pulses comprising reflections of the transmitted light pulses returning back to the LIDAR device from the mounting structure; and
based on at least the scan of the at least portion of the mounting structure, detecting presence of an occlusion that at least partially occludes the LIDAR device from scanning the FOV.