Waymo patents tracking objects that disappear from self-driving sensors
This filing describes a method for self-driving cars to keep track of objects even after they are no longer visible to the vehicle's sensors. By predicting the object's likely path and characteristics, the car can continue to adjust its driving to avoid potential collisions.
In the filing’s own words
Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods for controlling a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode. For instance, sensor data may be received from one or more sensors of the perception system of the vehicle, the sensor data identifying characteristics of an object perceived by the perception system. When it is determined that the object is no longer being perceived by the one or more sensors of the perception system, predicted characteristics for the object may be generated based on one or more of the identified characteristics. The predicted characteristics of the object may be used to control the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode such that the vehicle is able to respond to the object when it is determined that the object is no longer being perceived by the one or more sensors of the perception system.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method of controlling a vehicle having an autonomous driving mode, the method comprising: identifying, by one or more processors, characteristics of an object detected within a field of view of one or more sensors of the vehicle; when the object is no longer detected within the field of view of the one or more sensors, generating, by the one or more processors, based on the identified characteristics, a set of predicted characteristics for the object; when the object is no longer detected within the field of view of the one or more sensors, generating, by the one or more processors and based on the set of predicted characteristics, a trajectory for the vehicle; and controlling, by the one or more processors, the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode based on the trajectory such that the vehicle responds to the object when the object is no longer detected within the field of view of the one or more sensors.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Waymo LLC)
- Official title
- TRACKING VANISHED OBJECTS FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
- Publication number
- US20260316793A1
- Application number
- 19716310
- Filed
- Jun 23, 2026
- Published
- Oct 15, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
B60W 60/00272 Operations & transportB60W 50/0097 Operations & transportB60W 2400/00 Operations & transportB60W 2554/402 Operations & transportB60W 2556/10 Operations & transportMore from Google in Cars & transport
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- Waymo patents method for self-driving cars to predict when they can see hidden hazards Sep 8, 2026
Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.