公开(公告)号：US20240168136A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-23

申请号：US18511816

申请日：2023-11-16

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Daniel Joseph KLEMME ,  Daniel Aaron MOHR

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/288 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/32

CPC classification number: G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/288 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/32

Abstract: The technology disclosed herein provides a method of operating a LiDAR system, the method including directing from a light source a distance-measuring beam of light on a target, receiving a reflection of the beam of light from the target on a fast mechanical scanner, compensating for angular offset induced by the fast mechanical scanner within the reflection of the beam of light using an offset compensator, and determining a distance between the light source and the target based on the offset corrected light beam output from the offset compensator and directed to a detector.

公开(公告)号：US11940565B2

公开(公告)日：2024-03-26

申请号：US16794500

申请日：2020-02-19

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Alex Michael Sincore

IPC: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/02 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89

CPC classification number: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S7/4818 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/02

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit (i) local-oscillator light and (ii) pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light is coherent with a corresponding portion of the local-oscillator light. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator light and a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including light from one of the emitted pulses of light that is scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The local-oscillator light and the received pulse of light are coherently mixed together at the receiver. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance to the target based at least in part on a time-of-arrival for the received pulse of light.

公开(公告)号：US11874401B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-16

申请号：US16378315

申请日：2019-04-08

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Austin K. Russell ,  Lane A. Martin

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01W1/02 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/00 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01W1/14 ,  G01S17/95 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/931

CPC classification number: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/003 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01W1/02 ,  G01W1/14 ,  G01S7/4868 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/95 ,  G01S2007/4975 ,  Y02A90/10

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for dynamically varying receiver characteristics in a lidar system includes emitting light pulses by a light source in a lidar system. The method further includes detecting, by a receiver in the lidar system, light from one of the light pulses scattered by one or more remote targets to identify a return light pulse. The method also includes determining an atmospheric condition at or near a geolocation of a vehicle that includes the lidar system. The method further includes providing a control signal to the receiver adjusting one or more characteristics of the receiver to compensate for attenuation or distortion of the return light pulses associated with the atmospheric condition.

公开(公告)号：US11846707B2

公开(公告)日：2023-12-19

申请号：US17314539

申请日：2021-05-07

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： John E. McWhirter

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/86 ,  B60R1/00 ,  B60R1/10 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G01S17/87

CPC classification number: G01S17/10 ,  B60R1/001 ,  B60R1/10 ,  G01S7/4812 ,  G01S7/4813 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/86 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G01S2007/4977

Abstract: To clear the line-of-sight (LOS) on a window in a lidar system within a vehicle, ultrasonic transducers are physically attached to the interior surface of the window to remove debris. When debris is detected at the window, the ultrasonic transducers are directed to vibrate at an ultrasonic frequency thereby generating an ultrasonic wave which causes the debris to bounce off the window. In some scenarios, the ultrasonic transducers vibrate with a particular phase shift to generate a travelling wave that causes the debris to sweep across the window. Additionally, windshield wipers, spray from a nozzle, and/or a hydrophobic or oleophobic coating may be used in combination with the ultrasonic transducers to remove the debris from the window.

公开(公告)号：US11774561B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-03

申请号：US16271119

申请日：2019-02-08

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Stephen D. Gaalema ,  Robert D. Still

IPC: G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/10 ,  H02H1/00 ,  H03F1/56

CPC classification number: G01S7/4861 ,  G01N21/55 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H02H1/00 ,  H03F1/56

Abstract: Amplifier input protection circuits are described. In one embodiment, a photoreceiver for a lidar system has a photodetector configured to generate an output current in response to received light. A transimpedance amplifier is configured to receive the output current and generate a voltage output corresponding to the output current in response thereto, and a diode circuit has a cathode coupled at a node between the photodetector output and the transimpedance amplifier input.

公开(公告)号：US20210325663A1

公开(公告)日：2021-10-21

申请号：US16852732

申请日：2020-04-20

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Sean P. Hughes

IPC: G02B26/10 ,  G01S7/481

Abstract: A scanner for a lidar system is configured to direct emitted light to scan a field of regard of the lidar system in accordance with a scan pattern. The scanner includes a mirror and an actuator assembly. The mirror includes a reflective surface and a rear surface and is pivotable along a mirror axle. The actuator assembly is disposed along the rear surface of the mirror and is configured to exert a torque on the mirror to cause the mirror to pivot about the mirror axle.

公开(公告)号：US20210088657A1

公开(公告)日：2021-03-25

申请号：US17101146

申请日：2020-11-23

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Lawrence Shah ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Alex Michael Sincore ,  Cheng Zhu

IPC: G01S17/00

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit an optical signal. The light source includes a seed laser diode configured to produce a seed optical signal and a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) configured to amplify the seed optical signal to produce an amplified seed optical signal, where the emitted optical signal includes the amplified seed optical signal. The light source further includes an electronic driver configured to supply electrical current to the seed laser diode and electrical current to the SOA. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect a portion of the emitted optical signal scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target.

公开(公告)号：US20210055390A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-25

申请号：US16794500

申请日：2020-02-19

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Alex Michael Sincore

IPC: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit (i) local-oscillator light and (ii) pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light is coherent with a corresponding portion of the local-oscillator light. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator light and a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including light from one of the emitted pulses of light that is scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The local-oscillator light and the received pulse of light are coherently mixed together at the receiver. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance to the target based at least in part on a time-of-arrival for the received pulse of light.

公开(公告)号：US20210055387A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-25

申请号：US16794366

申请日：2020-02-19

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Alex Michael Sincore

IPC: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/481

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit (i) local-oscillator light and (ii) pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light is coherent with a corresponding portion of the local-oscillator light. The light source includes a seed laser configured to produce seed light and the local-oscillator light. The light source also includes a pulsed optical amplifier configured to amplify temporal portions of the seed light to produce the emitted pulses of light, where each amplified temporal portion of the seed light corresponds to one of the emitted pulses of light. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator light and a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including light from one of the emitted pulses of light that is scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system.

公开(公告)号：US10720748B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-21

申请号：US16273736

申请日：2019-02-12

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Alain Villeneuve ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Laurance S. Lingvay

IPC: H01S3/094 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/10 ,  H01S3/067 ,  H01S3/00 ,  H01S3/08 ,  G02B27/09 ,  H01S5/00 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G02B26/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/497 ,  H01S3/23 ,  H01S5/40 ,  G02B27/10 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/16 ,  H01S5/024 ,  H01S5/028 ,  H01S5/062 ,  H01S5/0683 ,  G01S17/931

Abstract: In one embodiment, a laser system includes a seed laser diode configured to produce a free-space seed-laser beam and a seed-laser focusing lens configured to focus the seed-laser beam. The laser system also includes a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) that includes a front facet, a back facet, and a waveguide extending from the front facet to the back facet. The SOA is configured to: receive, at the front facet, light from the focused seed-laser beam; amplify the received light as the received light propagates along the SOA waveguide from the front facet to the back facet; and emit, from the back facet, an amplified free-space beam that includes the amplified received light. The laser system further includes a mounting platform, where one or more of the seed laser diode, the seed-laser focusing lens, and the SOA are mechanically attached to the mounting platform.