US 11,836,955 B2
Detecting unfamiliar signs
Zhinan Xu, San Jose, CA (US); Maya Kabkab, Mountain View, CA (US); Chen Wu, Cupertino, CA (US); and Woojong Koh, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/150,228.
Application 17/150,228 is a continuation of application No. 16/220,225, filed on Dec. 14, 2018, granted, now 10,928,828.
Prior Publication US 2021/0191419 A1, Jun. 24, 2021
Int. Cl. G06V 10/778 (2022.01); G05D 1/02 (2020.01); G06T 7/60 (2017.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01); G06V 20/20 (2022.01); G06V 20/58 (2022.01)
CPC G06V 10/7784 (2022.01) [G05D 1/0088 (2013.01); G05D 1/0246 (2013.01); G06T 7/60 (2013.01); G06T 7/90 (2017.01); G06V 20/20 (2022.01); G06V 20/582 (2022.01); G06T 2207/30252 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of categorizing attributes of traffic signs for controlling an autonomous vehicle, the method comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors, sensor data captured by a perception system of the autonomous vehicle, the perception system including a plurality of sensors, and the sensor data including a plurality of traffic signs in surroundings of the autonomous vehicle in images detected by the sensors over a period of time;
categorizing, by the one or more processors, one or more of the traffic signs as being unidentifiable or unknown when a sign type of the one or more of the traffic signs cannot be identified with a confidence level that meets a particular confidence threshold level;
comparing, by the one or more processors, attributes of each of the categorized one or more traffic signs to attributes of known traffic signs;
determining, by the one or more processors, a sign type of one or more of the categorized one or more traffic signs based on results of the comparing; and
controlling, by the one or more processors, the autonomous vehicle based on the sign type of the one or more of the categorized one or more traffic signs.