US 12,461,231 B2
Thermal sensor data vehicle perception
Bence Cserna, East Boston, MA (US); Aravindkumar Vijayalingam, Singapore (SG); and Ruben Strenzke, Singapore (SG)
Assigned to Motional AD LLC, Boston, MA (US)
Filed by Motional AD LLC, Boston, MA (US)
Filed on Jan. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/584,435.
Prior Publication US 2023/0236313 A1, Jul. 27, 2023
Int. Cl. G01S 13/931 (2020.01); B60W 60/00 (2020.01); G01J 5/00 (2022.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 13/931 (2013.01) [B60W 60/0016 (2020.02); G01J 5/00 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); B60W 2420/40 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2420/408 (2024.01); B60W 2420/54 (2013.01); G01J 2005/0077 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
obtaining, by at least one processor, thermal sensor data associated with an environment in which an autonomous vehicle is operating;
obtaining, using the at least one processor, non-thermal sensor data associated with the environment;
identifying, using the at least one processor, a thermal reflection on a surface of a first object in the environment based at least in part on the thermal sensor data;
determining, using the at least one processor, a presence of a second object based at least in part on the identified thermal reflection on the surface of the first object; and
generating, using the at least one processor, a trajectory for the autonomous vehicle based at least in part on the determined presence of the second object.