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EP-3791569-B1 - CAMERA RING STRUCTURE FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

EP3791569B1EP 3791569 B1EP3791569 B1EP 3791569B1EP-3791569-B1

Inventors

  • TOTH, Kimberly, Geneva
  • HERMALYN, BRENDAN
  • MCGUIRE, Shane
  • RIVERA, FELIX JOSE ALVAREZ
  • DITTMER, JEREMY
  • WENDEL, ANDREAS

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20190613

Claims (15)

  1. A camera assembly (310) for use on a vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous driving mode, the camera assembly (310) comprising: a top plate (1004); a chassis (1002) having a first side and a second side, the top plate being affixed to the second side of the chassis, the first side facing away from the top plate, and the chassis (1002) including a series of camera mounts (1014) extending away from the second side of the chassis and distributed in a ring arrangement along a perimeter of the chassis; a set of camera modules each affixed to one of the series of camera mounts (1014), the set of camera modules including a first subset and a second subset, the first subset of camera modules each including a pair of image sensors (702, 704) and the second subset of camera modules each including one image sensor (706), the first subset of camera modules being arranged to provide a 360° field of view around the vehicle; a base plate (1102) affixed to the set of camera modules; and an outer cover (1100) disposed between the top plate (1004) and the base plate (1102), the outer cover (1100) including a series of openings corresponding to fields of view of the image sensors of the first and second subsets (702, 704; 706).
  2. The camera assembly of claim 1, wherein the second subset of camera modules is arranged to provide a field of view of between 60-135° along a front of the vehicle.
  3. The camera assembly of claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the pair of image sensors in each respective camera module of the first subset is co-located and aligned along a common vertical axis.
  4. The camera assembly of claim 3, wherein both image sensors of the pair of image sensors have substantially equivalent fields of view, and optionally wherein the substantially equivalent fields of view are on the order of 45°.
  5. The camera assembly of any preceding claim, wherein: the image sensors of each camera module in the first subset have overlapping fields of view with the image sensors from each adjacent camera module of the first subset; and the image sensor of each camera module in the second subset has an overlapping field of view with the image sensor from each adjacent camera module of the second subset.
  6. The camera assembly of claim 5, wherein the overlapping fields of view for the image sensors of the first subset of camera modules are between 0.5-4°, and the overlapping fields of view for the image sensors of the second subset of camera modules are between 3-4°.
  7. The camera assembly of any of the preceding claims, wherein the top plate, base plate and outer cover are configured to provide at least one of electromagnetic interference protection for the camera modules from emissions by other sensors, and electromagnetic interference protection for the other sensors from emissions by the camera modules.
  8. The camera assembly of any of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one fan disposed between the top plate and the base plate.
  9. A sensor assembly (300) for use on a vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous driving mode, the sensor assembly comprising: a housing (302) having a base region configured to attach to a surface of the vehicle, a top region opposite the base region, and a sidewall extending between the base region and the top region; a first sensor (306) disposed within the housing; and the camera assembly (310) of any one of claims 1 to 8 disposed within the housing (302) and coupled to the sidewall.
  10. The sensor assembly of claim 9, further comprising a second sensor (308) disposed within the housing, wherein the first sensor is arranged between the top plate of the camera assembly and the top region of the housing, and the second sensor (308) is arranged between the base plate of the camera assembly and the base region of the housing.
  11. The sensor assembly of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first and second sensors is a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor.
  12. The sensor assembly of any of claims 9, 10 or 11, wherein at least a portion of the sidewall adjacent to the set of camera modules is optically transparent, and/or wherein the sensor assembly further comprises one or more processors disposed within the housing, the one or more processors being operatively coupled to the first sensor and the first and second subsets of camera modules.
  13. A vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous mode, the vehicle comprising: a driving system configured to perform driving operations; a perception system (224) configured to detect objects in an environment surrounding the vehicle; and a control system operatively coupled to the driving system and the perception system, the control system having one or more computer processors (204) configured to receive data from the perception system and to direct the driving system when operating in the autonomous mode; wherein the perception system includes the camera assembly (310) of any one of claims 1 to 8.
  14. The vehicle of claim 13, wherein the perception system further includes: a housing (302) having a base region configured to attach to a roof of the vehicle, a top region opposite the base region, and a sidewall extending between the base region and the top region; and a first sensor (306) disposed within the housing; and wherein the camera assembly (310) is disposed within the housing and coupled to the sidewall.
  15. The vehicle of claim 14, wherein: the perception system further comprises a second sensor (308) disposed within the housing; the first sensor is arranged between the top plate of the camera assembly and the top region of the housing; and the second sensor (308) is arranged between the base plate of the camera assembly and the base region of the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND Autonomous vehicles, in particular vehicles that do not require a human driver, can be used to transport passengers, cargo or other items from one location to another. Such vehicles may operate in a fully autonomous mode without any driving input from a passenger, or a partially autonomous mode where a person in the vehicle may provide some driving input. To aid driving in an autonomous mode, sensors are used to detect features and objects in the environment around the vehicle. The sensors may include one or more cameras at different locations about the vehicle in order to gather information about the surrounding environment. However, the types of cameras used, their placement and sensing abilities may impact whether the vehicle can effectively operate in a partially or fully autonomous mode. US 2016/0269716 Al discloses a camera rig including one or more stereoscopic camera pairs and/or one or more light field cameras. Images are captured by the light field cameras and stereoscopic camera pairs are captured at the same time. The light field images are used to generate an environmental depth map which accurately reflects the environment in which the stereoscopic images are captured at the time of image capture. In addition to providing depth information, images captured by the light field camera or cameras is combined with or used in place of stereoscopic image data to allow viewing and/or display of portions of a scene not captured by a stereoscopic camera pair. US 2016/0291134 Al discloses systems and methods that relate to a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. The LIDAR device includes a fiber laser configured to emit light within a wavelength range, a scanning portion configured to direct the emitted light in a reciprocating manner about a first axis, and a plurality of detectors configured to sense light within the wavelength range. The device additionally includes a controller configured to receive target information, which may be indicative of an object, a position, a location, or an angle range. In response to receiving the target information, the controller may cause the rotational mount to rotate so as to adjust a pointing direction of the LIDAR. The controller is further configured to cause the LIDAR to scan a field-of-view of the environment. The controller may determine a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the environment based on data from scanning the field-of-view. BRIEF SUMMARY The claims define the matter for protection. Aspects of the disclosure provide a camera ring structure that is especially beneficial for vehicles configured to operate in an autonomous driving mode. The camera ring structure co-locates various image sensors in a camera assembly designed to provide seamless and unimpeded fields of view around the vehicle. The structure also provides mechanical stiffness and dampening to ensure image sensor operation within defined tolerances. Other types sensors may be co-located with the camera image sensors as part of a comprehensive sensor system. The structure can provide protection against electromagnetic interference (EMI), for instance from other sensors such as light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors and radar sensors. In addition, the structure can include a thermal heatsink or otherwise provide a degree of temperature regulation to the cameras and other components of the sensor system. According to one aspect, a camera assembly is provided for use on a vehicle configured to operate in an autonomous driving mode. The camera assembly includes a chassis having a first side and a second side, and a top plate affixed to the second side of the chassis. The chassis includes a series of camera mounts distributed therealong and extending away from the second side. A set of camera modules is each affixed to one of the series of camera mounts. The set of camera modules includs a first subset and a second subset. The first subset of camera modules each includes a pair of image sensors and the second subset of camera modules each includes one image sensor. The first subset of camera modules is arranged to provide a 360° field of view around the vehicle. The camera assembly also includes a base plate affixed to the set of camera modules, and an outer cover disposed between the top plate and the base plate. The outer cover includes a series of openings corresponding to fields of view of the image sensors of the first and second subsets. The second subset of camera modules may be arranged to provide a field of view of between 60-135° along a front of the vehicle. In one example, the pair of image sensors in each respective camera module of the first subset is co-located and aligned along a common vertical axis. Here, both image sensors of the pair of image sensors may have substantially equivalent fields of view. In this case, the substantially equivalent fields of view may be on the order of 45°. In another example, the image sensors of each camera module in th