Vehicle with multiple light detection and ranging devices (LIDARs)

US9625582B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Google LLC · US

Inventors

• Daniel Gruver · San Francisco, US
• Pierre-Yves Droz · Los Altos, US
• Gaetan Pennecot · San Francisco, US
• Anthony Levandowski · San Francisco, US
• Drew Ulrich · San Francisco, US
• Zachary Morriss · San Francisco, US
• Luke Wachter · Mountain View, US
• Dorel Ionut Iordache · Mountain View, US
• Rahim Pardhan · San Francisco, US
• William McCann · San Francisco, US
• Bernard Fidric · Cupertino, US
• Samuel William Lenius · Sunnyvale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 25, 2015
• Grant date: Apr 18, 2017
• Expiry date: May 6, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01S17/86
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A vehicle is provided that includes one or more wheels positioned at a bottom side of the vehicle. The vehicle also includes a first light detection and ranging device (LIDAR) positioned at a top side of the vehicle opposite to the bottom side. The first LIDAR is configured to scan an environment around the vehicle based on rotation of the first LIDAR about an axis. The first LIDAR has a first resolution. The vehicle also includes a second LIDAR configured to scan a field-of-view of the environment that extends away from the vehicle along a viewing direction of the second LIDAR. The second LIDAR has a second resolution. The vehicle also includes a controller configured to operate the vehicle based on the scans of the environment by the first LIDAR and the second LIDAR.