Sensing assembly for autonomous driving

Abstract

An autonomous driving assembly for a vehicle includes a plurality of lidar groups supported by a vehicle body of the vehicle and collectively configured to detect a periphery region in proximity to the vehicle body. Different ones of the plurality of lidar groups are supported at different areas of the vehicle body and have different group fields of view. At least two of the different group fields of view overlap with each other. Each of the plurality lidar groups includes a plurality of lidar units fixed at a same location. Different ones of the plurality of lidar units have different unit fields of view. At least two of the different unit fields of view overlap with each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An autonomous driving assembly for a vehicle comprising:
 a plurality of lidar groups supported by a vehicle body of the vehicle and collectively configured to detect a periphery region in proximity to the vehicle body;   wherein:
 different ones of the plurality of lidar groups are supported at different areas of the vehicle body and have different group fields of view, at least two of the different group fields of view overlapping with each other; and 
 each of the plurality lidar groups includes a plurality of lidar units fixed at a same location, different ones of the plurality of lidar units having different unit fields of view, and at least two of the different unit fields of view overlapping with each other. 
   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein different ones of the plurality of lidar groups are supported by different support structures of the vehicle body. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of lidar groups includes a first lidar unit optically aligned in a first direction and a second lidar unit optically aligned in a second direction, an angle between the first direction and the second direction being about 50 degrees or less. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of lidar groups includes at least three lidar units arranged in a manner to increase overlap between adjacent unit fields of view of the at least three lidar units. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein one of the plurality of lidar groups includes at least two lidar units having a fixed disposition relative to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the fixed disposition is maintained with aid of one or more linkages. 
     
     
         7 . The assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more linkages include at least one of serial linkages or parallel linkages. 
     
     
         8 . The assembly of  claim 5 , wherein the fixed disposition is maintained with aid of a kinematic coupling or maintained in a rigid manner. 
     
     
         9 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality lidar groups include a first lidar group and a second lidar group each including at least two lidar units having a fixed disposition relative to one another. 
     
     
         10 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first lidar group is configured to move relative to the second lidar group to adjust an overlap between a group field of view of the first lidar group and a group field of view of the second lidar group. 
     
     
         11 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the first lidar group and the second lidar group are configured to move relative to each other to adjust an overlap between a group field of view of the first lidar group and a group field of view of the second lidar group. 
     
     
         12 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein an overlap between a group field of view of the first lidar group and a group field of view of the second lidar group is adjustable in real-time to compensate for blind spots while the vehicle is in operation. 
     
     
         13 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein an overlap between a group field of view of the first lidar group and a group field of view of the second lidar group is at least 70 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein a group field of view of the first lidar group is at least 160 degrees, and a group field of view of the second lidar group is at least 160 degrees. 
     
     
         15 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein a collective field of view of the first lidar group and the second lidar group is inversely proportional to a collective detection range of the first lidar group and the second lidar group. 
     
     
         16 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein the at least two lidar units of the first lidar group are configured to not move relative to one another during operation of the vehicle, and the at least two lidar units of the second lidar group are configured to not move relative to one another during operation of the vehicle. 
     
     
         17 . The assembly of  claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first lidar group or the second lidar group undergoes an initial intrinsic calibration prior to utilization of the at least one of the first lidar group or the second lidar group for sensing. 
     
     
         18 . The assembly of  claim 17 , wherein the first lidar group does not require online calibration during operation of the vehicle, and the second lidar group does not require online calibration during operation of the vehicle. 
     
     
         19 . A vehicle comprising the autonomous driving assembly of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . A method of collecting information around a vehicle for autonomous driving, comprising:
 supporting, with aid of a vehicle body of the vehicle, a plurality of lidar groups of an autonomous driving assembly for the vehicle; and   collectively detecting, by the plurality of lidar groups, a periphery region in proximity to the vehicle body to aid in autonomous driving upon coupling the autonomous driving assembly to the vehicle body, wherein:
 different ones of the plurality of lidar groups are supported at different areas of the vehicle body and have different group fields of view, at least two of the different group fields of view overlapping with each other; and 
 each of the plurality lidar groups includes a plurality of lidar units fixed at a same location, different ones of the plurality of lidar units having different unit fields of view, and at least two of the different unit fields of view overlapping with each other.