System and method for determining whether to perform sensor calibration while minimizing system load

Abstract

Provided herein is a system and method for calibrating sensors. The system comprises a sensor to capture first data, an analysis engine to determine whether the sensor is to be calibrated, and a communication engine to transmit the first data from the sensor to the analysis engine and transmit information to an error handling module that the sensor is to be calibrated, in response to a determination that the sensor is to be calibrated. The determining is based on a result from a first validation of the first data, which is based on a known parameter of the sensor or historical data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sensor system comprising:
 a first sensor configured to capture first data, wherein the first data comprises one or more first features extracted from a first image; and one or more processors configured to:
 conduct a first validation of the first data based on historical data, wherein the historical data comprises one or more second features extracted from a second image or a known parameter of the first sensor, wherein the conducting of the first validation comprises determining a frequency at which to conduct the first validation based on a density of moving objects; and 
 based on a result from the first validation, determine whether the first sensor is to be calibrated. 
   
     
     
         2 . The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 in response to determining that the first sensor is to be calibrated, determining a mode of calibration based on the density of the moving objects.   
     
     
         3 . The sensor system of  claim 2 , wherein the determination of the mode of calibration is further based on a history of the first sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The sensor system of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 in response to determining a mode of calibration, determine whether the mode of calibration successfully calibrated the first sensor; and   in response to determining that the mode of calibration failed to successfully calibrate the first sensor, calibrate the first sensor using a different mode of calibration.   
     
     
         5 . The sensor system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 conduct a second validation of the first data based on different historical data captured at a different time or from a different sensor, wherein the selective determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated is based on the second validation.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a Lidar point number distribution or a camera pixel diversity, and wherein the determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated is based on the Lidar point number distribution or the camera pixel diversity.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine or estimate a parameter of the first sensor;   determine a difference between the determined or estimated parameter and the known parameter; and   in response to determining that the difference is between a first threshold and a second threshold, conduct a second validation of the first data.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine a first relative spacing between two of the first features;   determine a second relative spacing between two of the second features; and   in response to determining that a difference between the second relative spacing and the first relative spacing exceeds a threshold relative spacing, determine that the first sensor is to be calibrated.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 conduct a second validation of the first data based on a continuous or sequential series of images or frames obtained by the first sensor, and wherein the determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated is based on a result of the second validation.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the second validation comprises a determination of whether a size of a feature within the images or frames is increasing or decreasing continuously; and
 the determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated comprises:
 in response to determining that the size of the feature within the images or frames is increasing or decreasing discontinuously, determining that the first sensor is to be calibrated. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method of validating a first sensor, comprising:
 capturing first data from the first sensor;   conducting a first validation of the first data based on historical data, wherein the historical data comprises one or more second features extracted from a second image or a known parameter of the first sensor, wherein the conducting of the first validation comprises determining a frequency at which to conduct the first validation based on a density of moving objects; and   based on a result from the first validation, determining whether the first sensor is to be calibrated.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 in response to determining that the first sensor is to be calibrated, determining a mode of calibration based on the density of the moving objects.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the determination of the mode of calibration is further based on a history of the first sensor. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 in response to determining a mode of calibration, determine whether the mode of calibration successfully calibrated the first sensor; and   in response to determining that the mode of calibration failed to successfully calibrate the first sensor, calibrating the first sensor using a different mode of calibration.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising conducting a second validation of the first data based on different historical data captured at a different time or from a different sensor, wherein the selective determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated is based on the second validation. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining a Lidar point number distribution or a camera pixel diversity, and wherein the determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated is based on the Lidar point number distribution or the camera pixel diversity.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining or estimating a parameter of the first sensor;   determining a difference between the determined or estimated parameter and the known parameter; and   in response to determining that the difference is between a first threshold and a second threshold, conducting a second validation of the first data.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining a first relative spacing between two of the first features;   determining a second relative spacing between two of the second features; and   in response to determining that a difference between the second relative spacing and the first relative spacing exceeds a threshold relative spacing, determining that the first sensor is to be calibrated.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 conducting a second validation of the first data based on a continuous or sequential series of images or frames obtained by the first sensor, and wherein the determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated is based on a result of the second validation.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the second validation comprises a determination of whether a size of a feature within the images or frames is increasing or decreasing continuously; and
 the determination of whether the first sensor is to be calibrated comprises:
 in response to determining that the size of the feature within the images or frames is increasing or decreasing discontinuously, determining that the first sensor is to be calibrated.