US 12,169,252 B2
Pulse energy plan for light detection and ranging (lidar) devices based on areas of interest and thermal budgets
Pierre-Yves Droz, Los Altos, CA (US); Caner Onal, Palo Alto, CA (US); Simon Ellgas, San Jose, CA (US); and Augusto Tazzoli, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed by Waymo LLC, Mountain View, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/334,039.
Application 18/334,039 is a continuation of application No. 16/838,581, filed on Apr. 2, 2020, granted, now 11,740,333.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/943,650, filed on Dec. 4, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0324521 A1, Oct. 12, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G01S 7/484 (2006.01); G01S 7/497 (2006.01); G01S 17/42 (2006.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)
CPC G01S 7/484 (2013.01) [G01S 7/497 (2013.01); G01S 17/42 (2013.01); G01S 17/931 (2020.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A light detection and ranging (lidar) device of a vehicle within a fleet of vehicles, wherein the lidar device comprises:
a plurality of light emitters configured to emit light pulses into an environment of the lidar device in a plurality of different emission directions;
circuitry configured to power the plurality of light emitters;
a plurality of detectors, wherein each detector in the plurality of detectors is configured to detect reflections of light pulses emitted by a corresponding light emitter in the plurality of light emitters and received from the environment of the lidar device; and
a controller configured to:
determine one or more regions of interest in the environment of the lidar device based on data from other vehicles within the fleet;
determine a pulse energy plan based on the one or more regions of interest and a thermal budget, wherein the pulse energy plan specifies a pulse energy level for each light pulse emitted by each light emitter in the plurality of light emitters; and
control the circuitry based on the pulse energy plan.