Patent ID: 11860315
Assignee: DIRECT CURSUS TECHNOLOGY L.L.C
Field: Measurement (Instruments)
Classification: CPC G  B | IPC B  G

Claim 14:
15. An electronic device for processing LIDAR sensor data, the electronic device operatively coupled to a LIDAR sensor, the LIDAR sensor including a plurality of vertically spaced lasers, the LIDAR sensor being rotatable about a vertically extending axis, the electronic device being configured to:
receive, from the LIDAR sensor, an indication of the LIDAR sensor data including:
a first dataset having a plurality of first data points, and
a second dataset having a plurality of second data points,
each one from the plurality of first data points and each one from the plurality of second data points being representative of respective coordinates in a 3D space and associated with a respective normal vector from a plurality of normal vectors,

match at least some of the plurality of first data points with at least some of the plurality of second data points,
thereby determining a plurality of pairs,
a given one of the plurality of pairs including (i) a given first data point and (ii) a given second data point, the given first data point and the given second data point separated by a point-to-point actual distance;

for the given one of the plurality of pairs, determine a pair-specific filtering parameter by:
defining for the given first data point, a set of neighboring points, the set of neighboring points being associated with a subset of lasers of the plurality of lasers vertically adjacent to a given laser that has been instrumental in generating the given first data point, the subset of lasers having been instrumental in generating the set of neighboring points;
calculating neighbour beam distances between the given first data point and respective neighboring points of the set of neighboring points by:
determining diagonal vectors between the given first data point and the respective neighboring points of the set of neighboring points, and
projecting the diagonal vectors onto a reflecting surface orthogonal to a laser path direction,
a given neighbour beam distance being representative of a linear distance between the given first data point and a respective one of the set of neighbouring points;

in response to the point-to-point actual distance being above a largest neighbour beam distance, determining the pair-specific filtering parameter to be positive;

in response to the pair-specific filtering parameter being positive, exclude the given one of the plurality of pairs from further processing, thereby defining a reduced plurality of pairs; and
process the reduced plurality of pairs for merging the first dataset and the second dataset.