US 12,496,969 B2
Sensor assembly with lidar and radar for autonomous vehicles
Donald Burnette, Mountain View, CA (US); Court Hinricher, Mountain View, CA (US); Jay Kuvelker, Mountain View, CA (US); Andreas Wendel, Mountain View, CA (US); John Zinn, Mountain View, CA (US); and Laura Shane, Mountain View, CA (US)
Assigned to Kodiak Robotics, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Kodiak Robotics, Inc., Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/977,549.
Application 17/977,549 is a continuation of application No. 17/435,368, previously published as PCT/US2020/020450, filed on Feb. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/812,779, filed on Mar. 1, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0047244 A1, Feb. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. B60R 1/12 (2006.01); B60R 1/06 (2006.01); B60R 11/04 (2006.01); G01S 13/86 (2006.01); G01S 13/931 (2020.01); G01S 17/86 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G03B 37/04 (2021.01); H04N 23/90 (2023.01); B60R 11/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60R 1/12 (2013.01) [B60R 1/0605 (2013.01); B60R 11/04 (2013.01); G01S 13/865 (2013.01); G01S 13/867 (2013.01); G01S 13/931 (2013.01); G01S 17/86 (2020.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01); G03B 37/04 (2013.01); H04N 23/90 (2023.01); B60R 2001/1223 (2013.01); B60R 2001/1253 (2013.01); B60R 2011/004 (2013.01)] 39 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A sensor assembly for an autonomous vehicle, comprising:
a left sensor assembly and a right sensor assembly, each of the left sensor assembly and the right sensor assembly comprising:
a bracket configured to couple to the autonomous vehicle;
an arm having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis connecting the first end and the second end, wherein the bracket is coupled to the first end;
a housing coupled to the second end, the housing having a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the arm;
a rear view radar coupled to the housing; and
a lidar coupled to the housing, the lidar having a viewing angle of about 360 degrees,
wherein the rear view radar is angled with respect to the lidar at an angle greater than zero,
wherein a field of view of the lidar fully encompasses a field of view of the rear view radar,
wherein the rear view radar and the lidar of the left sensor assembly provide a field of view about the autonomous vehicle of less than 360 degrees, and the rear view radar and the lidar of the right sensor assembly provide a field of view about the autonomous vehicle of less than 360 degrees, and
wherein the rear view radar of each of the left sensor assembly and the right sensor assembly and the lidar of each of the left sensor assembly and the right sensor assembly together provide a 360 degree field of view about the autonomous vehicle at a diameter of about 200 meters.