Data Recorders of Autonomous Vehicles

Abstract

Systems, methods and apparatus to collect sensor data generated in an autonomous vehicle. Sensors of the vehicle generate a sensor data stream that is buffered, in parallel and in a cyclic way, in a first cyclic buffer and a larger second cyclic buffer respectively. An advanced driver assistance system of the vehicle generates an accident signal when detecting or predicting an accident and provides a training signal when detecting a fault in object detection, recognition, identification or classification. The accident signal causes a sensor data stream segment to be copied from the first cyclic buffer into a slot of a non-volatile memory, selected from a plurality of slots in a round robin way. The training signal causes a sensor data stream segment to be copied from the second cyclic buffer into an area of the non-volatile memory outside of the slots reserved for the first cyclic buffer.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A device, comprising:
 a non-volatile memory;   at least one cyclic buffer configured to buffer a data stream; and   a logic circuit configured to:
 receive a signal indicative of an event associated with a system that generates the data stream; and 
 control buffering the data stream into the at least one cyclic buffer and storing data from the at least one cyclic buffer to the non-volatile memory based on a type of the event. 
   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one cyclic buffer includes a first cyclic buffer and a second cyclic buffer. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the first cyclic buffer is associated with a first type of events; and the second cyclic buffer is associated with a second type of events. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the first cyclic buffer and the second cyclic buffer have different buffering capacities. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the logic circuit is further configured to:
 stop buffering the data stream in response to the type of the event being a first type; and   continue buffering the data stream in response to the type of the event being a second type.   
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein the logic circuit is further configured to store data from the at least one cyclic buffer into the non-volatile memory in response to the signal. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the logic circuit is further configured to resume buffering the data stream after storing an amount of data from the at least one cyclic buffer into the non-volatile memory. 
     
     
         9 . A method, comprising:
 partitioning a non-volatile memory of a device into a first portion and a second portion having a plurality of slots, each of the plurality of slots configured to store a first predetermined amount of data;   buffering a data stream into at least one cyclic buffer of the device;   receiving a first signal indicative of a first event associated with a system that generates the data stream;   storing, responsive to the first signal, first data of the first predetermined amount from the at least one cyclic buffer into a slot among the plurality of slots;   receiving a second signal indicative of a second event associated with the system; and   storing, responsive to the second signal, second data of a second amount, larger than the first predetermined amount, from the at least one cyclic buffer into the second portion.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 stopping, responsive to the first signal, buffering the data stream into the at least one cyclic buffer.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 resuming, after the storing of the first data, buffering the data stream into the at least one cyclic buffer.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 continuing, responsive to the second signal, buffering the data stream into the at least one cyclic buffer.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one cyclic buffer includes a first cyclic buffer configured to buffer the first data and a second cyclic buffer configured to buffer the second data. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first cyclic buffer and the second cyclic buffer have different buffering capacities. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first cyclic buffer is associated with a first type of events; and the second cyclic buffer is associated with a second type of events. 
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer storage medium storing instructions which, when executed in a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method, comprising:
 receiving, in the computing device, a data stream;   buffering at least a first portion of the data stream associated with a first type of events into a first cyclic buffer of the computing device;   buffering at least a second portion of the data stream associated with a second type of events into a second cyclic buffer of the computing device;   configuring a non-volatile memory of the computing device into a first region and a second region having a plurality of slots;   storing first data from the first cyclic buffer to a slot among the plurality of slots in response to a first signal indicative of an event of the first type; and   storing second data from the second cyclic buffer to the second region in response to a second signal indicative of an event of the second type.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the first type of events is configured to train an advanced driver assistance system; and the second type of events is configured to review accidents. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
 stopping, in response to the first signal, buffering into the first cyclic buffer.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises:
 resuming, after the stopping and after the storing of the first data, buffering into the first cyclic buffer.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:
 continuing, in response to the second signal, buffering into the second cyclic buffer.   
     
     
         21 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 20 , wherein the method further comprises:
 transmitting data from the non-volatile memory to a server.