US 11,841,438 B2
Power control of sensors using multiple exposures
Subasingha Shaminda Subasingha, Weston, FL (US); Turhan Karadeniz, Oakland, CA (US); Denis Nikitin, Campbell, CA (US); and Harrison Thomas Waschura, Los Altos Hills, CA (US)
Assigned to Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed by Zoox, Inc., Foster City, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 30, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/588,347.
Prior Publication US 2021/0096263 A1, Apr. 1, 2021
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 17/93 (2020.01); G01S 17/08 (2006.01); G01S 7/48 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 17/931 (2020.01) [G01S 7/4808 (2013.01); G01S 17/08 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle comprising:
a time-of-flight sensor configured to generate data based on light received at a receiver of the time-of-flight sensor;
one or more processors; and
memory storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the vehicle to perform acts comprising:
receiving, from the time-of-flight sensor, first sensor data comprising a plurality of first phase frames, the first phase frames comprising first phase values for pixels of the receiver, and the first sensor data being associated with a first exposure time;
receiving, from the time-of-flight sensor, second sensor data comprising a plurality of second phase frames, the second phase frames comprising second phase values for the pixels of the receiver, and the second sensor data being associated with a second exposure time shorter than the first exposure time;
determining first intensity information from the first phase values and second intensity information from the second phase values;
determining, based at least in part on the first intensity information and the second intensity information, a saturation value associated with the first exposure and the second exposure;
generating, based on the saturation value, a signal to alter one or more of the first exposure time or the second exposure time associated with the time-of-flight sensor; and
sending the signal to the time-of-flight sensor;
wherein the saturation value is based at least in part on a number of unreliable pixels.