US 12,422,563 B2
Differential methods for environment estimation, lidar impairment detection, and filtering
Jingyuan Linda Zhang, Menlo Park, CA (US); Kanika Sachdev, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Caner Onal, Palo Alto, CA (US); Michael Marx, Mountain View, CA (US); and Yuchi Wang, Ann Arbor, MI (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/068,503.
Prior Publication US 2024/0201391 A1, Jun. 20, 2024
Int. Cl. G01S 17/95 (2006.01); G01S 7/487 (2006.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 17/95 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4873 (2013.01); G01S 17/42 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
dividing a plurality of light detection and ranging (lidar) device channels into at least a first group of channels and a second group of channels, wherein the first group of channels and the second group of channels are interleaved;
applying a threshold to at least the first group of channels;
emitting light pulses from a lidar device into an environment surrounding the lidar device;
detecting return light pulses in the first group of channels and the second group of channels, wherein the return light pulses in the first group of channels are sampled from the signals that exceed the threshold;
determining a differential in a statistical distribution between the return light pulses in the first group of channels and the return light pulses in the second group of channels; and
based on the differential, detecting an atmospheric scattering medium in the environment surrounding the lidar device.