Waymo patents self-checking lidar that spots damage during cleaning
This patent describes a method for autonomous vehicles to check their lidar sensors for damage while they are being cleaned. The system sends out light pulses and analyzes the reflections to detect if the optical components or the cleaning mechanism itself are defective.
In the filing’s own words
Example embodiments relate to using cleaning protocols to monitor defects associated with light detection and ranging (lidar) devices. An example embodiment includes a method. The method includes applying, using a cleaning device, a cleaning protocol to one or more optical components of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device. The method also includes emitting, from a light emitter of the lidar device, one or more light signals. Additionally, the method includes detecting, by a light detector of the lidar device, reflections of the one or more light signals. Further, the method includes determining, by a controller of the lidar device based on the detected reflections of the one or more light signals, that one or more defects are present within the one or more optical components or within the cleaning device.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method comprising: applying, using a cleaning device, a cleaning protocol to one or more optical components of a light detection and ranging (lidar) device, wherein the cleaning protocol is applied according to a periodic schedule or in response to a trigger event; emitting, from a light emitter of the lidar device, one or more light signals; detecting, by a light detector of the lidar device, reflections of the one or more light signals; and determining, by a controller based on the detected reflections of the one or more light signals, that one or more defects are present within the one or more optical components or within the cleaning device.
Facts
- Company
- Google (Waymo LLC)
- Official title
- USING CLEANING PROTOCOLS TO MONITOR DEFECTS ASSOCIATED WITH LIGHT DETECTION AND RANGING (LIDAR) DEVICES
- Publication number
- US20260328918A1
- Application number
- 19727206
- Filed
- Jul 1, 2026
- Published
- Oct 22, 2026
- Inventors
- 7
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G01S 7/497 Physics & computingB08B 1/165 Operations & transportB08B 3/02 Operations & transportB08B 5/02 Operations & transportB08B 7/04 Operations & transportB08B 13/00 Operations & transportMore from Google in Cars & transport
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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.