公开(公告)号：US09958545B2

公开(公告)日：2018-05-01

申请号：US15818501

申请日：2017-11-20

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

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

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/486

CPC classification number: G01S17/06 ,  G01S7/4804 ,  G01S7/4811 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S7/4815 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4818 ,  G01S7/483 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/02 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/32 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/936 ,  H01S3/0007 ,  H01S3/0078 ,  H01S3/0085 ,  H01S3/06733 ,  H01S3/0675 ,  H01S3/06754 ,  H01S3/06758 ,  H01S3/08086 ,  H01S3/094003 ,  H01S3/094042 ,  H01S3/094076 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/10023 ,  H01S3/1106 ,  H01S3/1608 ,  H01S3/2383 ,  H01S5/0057 ,  H01S5/0085 ,  H01S5/4012 ,  H01S5/4087 ,  H01S2301/02

Abstract: A lidar system with a light source to emit a pulse of light and a receiver to detect a return pulse of light. The receiver can include a first channel to receive a first portion of the return pulse and produce a first digital output signal, and a second channel to receive a second portion of the return pulse and produce a second digital output signal. The receiver can include a logic circuit to produce an output electrical-edge signal in response to receiving the digital output signals. The receiver can also include a time-to-digital converter to determine a time interval based on an emission time of the pulse of light and based on the electrical-edge signal. The lidar system can also include a processor to determine a distance to a target based at least in part on the time interval.

公开(公告)号：US20180024241A1

公开(公告)日：2018-01-25

申请号：US15470708

申请日：2017-03-27

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

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

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484

CPC classification number: G01S17/06 ,  G01S7/4804 ,  G01S7/4811 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S7/4815 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4818 ,  G01S7/483 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/02 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/32 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/936 ,  H01S3/0007 ,  H01S3/0078 ,  H01S3/0085 ,  H01S3/06733 ,  H01S3/0675 ,  H01S3/06754 ,  H01S3/06758 ,  H01S3/08086 ,  H01S3/094003 ,  H01S3/094042 ,  H01S3/094076 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/10023 ,  H01S3/1106 ,  H01S3/1608 ,  H01S3/2383 ,  H01S5/0057 ,  H01S5/0085 ,  H01S5/4012 ,  H01S5/4087 ,  H01S2301/02

Abstract: A lidar system with a pulsed laser diode configured to produce an optical seed pulse of light at an operating wavelength between approximately 1400 nm and approximately 1600 nm. The lidar system may also include an optical amplifier configured to amplify the optical seed pulse to produce an eye-safe output optical pulse that is emitted into a field of view. The optical amplifier may produce an amount of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) associated with the output optical pulse. The lidar system may include an optical filter configured to filter the output optical pulse to reduce the associated ASE. The lidar system may also include a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the output optical pulse reflected or scattered from the field of view.

公开(公告)号：US09841495B2

公开(公告)日：2017-12-12

申请号：US15342595

申请日：2016-11-03

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc

Inventor： Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Matthew D. Weed

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/10

CPC classification number: G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4812 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: A lidar system may have a light source configured to emit a pulse of light and a scanner that scans a field of view of the light source in a forward-scanning direction across a plurality of pixels located downrange from the lidar system. The scanner can direct the pulse of light toward the second pixel and scan a field of view of a first detector. The first-detector field of view can be offset from the light-source field of view in a direction opposite the forward-scanning direction. When the pulse is emitted, the first-detector field of view can at least partially overlap the first pixel and the light-source field of view can at least partially overlap the second pixel. The first detector can be configured to detect a portion of the pulse of light scattered by a target located at least partially within the second pixel.

公开(公告)号：US20240345248A1

公开(公告)日：2024-10-17

申请号：US18603652

申请日：2024-03-13

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  John E. McWhirter ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Lane A. Martin

IPC: G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G02B5/08 ,  G02B5/09 ,  G02B5/18 ,  G02B5/22 ,  G02B7/182 ,  G02B26/10 ,  G02B26/12 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G02B27/10 ,  G02B27/30 ,  H01L25/16 ,  H01L27/146

CPC classification number: G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/4813 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G02B5/09 ,  G02B7/1821 ,  G02B26/101 ,  G02B26/105 ,  G02B26/123 ,  G02B26/125 ,  G02B27/0955 ,  G02B27/0977 ,  G02B27/1086 ,  G02B27/30 ,  H01L25/167 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H01L27/14647 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G02B5/0841 ,  G02B5/1857 ,  G02B5/22 ,  H01L27/14694

Abstract: A lidar system includes one or more light sources configured to generate a first beam of light and a second beam of light, a scanner configured to scan the first and second beams of light across a field of regard of the lidar system, and a receiver configured to detect the first beam of light and the second beam of light scattered by one or more remote targets. The scanner includes a rotatable polygon mirror that includes multiple reflective surfaces angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the polygon mirror, the reflective surfaces configured to reflect the first and second beams of light to produce a series of scan lines as the polygon mirror rotates. The scanner also includes a pivotable scan mirror configured to (i) reflect the first and second beams of light and (ii) pivot to distribute the scan lines across the field of regard.

公开(公告)号：US10557939B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-11

申请号：US15296881

申请日：2016-10-18

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Matthew D. Weed

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G01S7/487 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/497

Abstract: A lidar system with improved signal-to-noise ratio in the presence of solar background noise. The lidar system can comprise a light source to emit light toward a target. The light source can have an operating wavelength which lies within a band that delineates a relative maximum in atmospheric absorption. The lidar system can also include a detector to detect scattered light from the target and a processor to determine a characteristic of the target based on a characteristic of the scattered light received at the detector.

公开(公告)号：US20200018854A1

公开(公告)日：2020-01-16

申请号：US16031815

申请日：2018-07-10

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Richmond Hicks ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  H04N5/232 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G02B26/10

Abstract: A machine vision system comprises a camera configured to generate one or more images of a field of regard of the camera, a lidar system, and a processor. The lidar system includes a laser configured to emit light, where the emitted light is directed toward a region within the field of regard of the camera and a receiver configured to detect light returned from the emitted light. The processor is configured to receive an indication of a location based on the returned light and determine whether a solid object is present at the location based on the one or more images.

公开(公告)号：US20190242978A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-08

申请号：US16389362

申请日：2019-04-19

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

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

IPC: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/497

CPC classification number: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/936

Abstract: To compensate for the uneven distribution of data points around the periphery of a vehicle in a lidar system, a light source transmits light pulses at a variable pulse rate according to the orientation of the light pulses with respect to the lidar system. A controller may communicate with a scanner in the lidar system that provides the orientations of the light pulses to the controller. The controller may then provide a control signal to the light source adjusting the pulse rate based on the orientations of the light pulses. For example, the pulse rate may be slower near the front of the lidar system and faster near the periphery. In another example, the pulse rate may be faster near the front of the lidar system and slower near the periphery.

公开(公告)号：US20190107606A1

公开(公告)日：2019-04-11

申请号：US16155207

申请日：2018-10-09

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Austin K. Russell ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Liam J. McGregor ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light and a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard. The field of regard contains all or part of a target located a distance from the lidar system that is less than or equal to a maximum range of the lidar system, and one or more of the emitted pulses of light are scattered by the target. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the pulses of light scattered by the target. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target based at least in part on a round-trip time of flight for an emitted pulse of light.

公开(公告)号：US10088559B1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-02

申请号：US15876669

申请日：2018-01-22

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Matthew D. Weed ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Austin K. Russell ,  Rodger W. Cleye ,  Melvin L. Stauffer

IPC: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/08

Abstract: To compensate for motor dynamics in a scanner in a lidar system, a light source transmits light pulses at a variable pulse rate in accordance with a scan speed of the scanner. More specifically, the pulse rate may be directly related to the scan speed so that the light source transmits light pulses uniformly across a field of regard. A controller may determine the scan speed and provide a control signal to the light source adjusting the pulse rate accordingly.

公开(公告)号：US20180269646A1

公开(公告)日：2018-09-20

申请号：US15901838

申请日：2018-02-21

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： David Welford ,  Martin A. Jaspan ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Lane A. Martin ,  Matthew D. Weed

IPC: H01S3/11 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/102 ,  G01S7/481 ,  H01S3/094 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/88 ,  H01S3/30

CPC classification number: H01S3/1115 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/88 ,  H01S3/0092 ,  H01S3/061 ,  H01S3/0612 ,  H01S3/0621 ,  H01S3/0627 ,  H01S3/08 ,  H01S3/094076 ,  H01S3/094084 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/09415 ,  H01S3/1022 ,  H01S3/113 ,  H01S3/1611 ,  H01S3/1643 ,  H01S3/1673 ,  H01S3/30

Abstract: A lidar system can include a solid-state laser to emit pulses of light. The solid-state laser can include a Q-switched laser having a gain medium and a Q-switch. The lidar system can also include a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard and a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The lidar system can also include a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target based at least in part on a round-trip time of flight for an emitted pulse of light to travel from the lidar system to the target and back to the lidar system.