Lidar system with optical trigger
    55.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10340651B1

    公开(公告)日:2019-07-02

    申请号:US16106238

    申请日:2018-08-21

    Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit a ranging pulse of light that is directed into a field of regard of the lidar system. The lidar system also includes a fiber-optic splitter configured to split off a portion of the ranging pulse of light to produce a trigger pulse of light that is directed to a receiver of the lidar system. The receiver is configured to detect, at a first time, at least a portion of the trigger pulse of light; and detect, at a second time subsequent to the first time, a portion of the ranging pulse of light 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 based at least in part on the first time and the second time.

    Scan patterns for lidar systems
    56.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10267898B2

    公开(公告)日:2019-04-23

    申请号:US15871687

    申请日:2018-01-15

    Abstract: A lidar system is disclosed. The lidar system can include a light source to produce first and second sets of pulses of light. The system can also include a first lidar sensor with a first scanner to scan the first set of pulses of light along a first scan pattern, and a first receiver to detect scattered light from the first set of pulses of light. The system can also include a second lidar sensor with a second scanner to scan the second set of pulses of light along a second scan pattern, and a second receiver to detect scattered light from the second set of pulses of light. The first scan pattern and the second scan pattern can be at least partially overlapped in an overlap region. The lidar system can also include an enclosure to contain the light source, the first lidar sensor, and the second lidar sensor.

    ADJUSTABLE SCAN PATTERNS FOR LIDAR SYSTEM
    57.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20190107623A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-04-11

    申请号:US16155243

    申请日:2018-10-09

    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 along a scan pattern contained within an adjustable field of regard. The scanner includes a first scanning mirror configured to scan the portion of the emitted pulses of light substantially parallel to a first scan axis to produce multiple scan lines of the scan pattern, where each scan line is oriented substantially parallel to the first scan axis. The scanner also includes a second scanning mirror configured to distribute the scan lines along a second scan axis that is substantially orthogonal to the first scan axis, where the scan lines are distributed within the adjustable field of regard according to an adjustable second-axis scan profile.

    Optical detector having a bandpass filter in a lidar system

    公开(公告)号:US10121813B2

    公开(公告)日:2018-11-06

    申请号:US15909563

    申请日:2018-03-01

    Abstract: To detect light from light pulses at the operating wavelength of a light source in a lidar system, a thin-film notch filter is directly deposited on a photodetector or a lens via vacuum deposition or monolithic epoxy. The thin-film notch filter may include an anti-reflective coating such as a pattern-coated dichroic filter having an optical transmission of 90% or greater at in-band wavelengths and less than 5% at out-of-band wavelengths. To deposit the filter onto the photodetector without disrupting electronic connections between the photodetector and an application-specific integrated circuit, the area surrounding the electrodes on the photodetector is kept open using photolithography.

    MULTI-EYE LIDAR SYSTEM
    59.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20180284286A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-10-04

    申请号:US15943467

    申请日:2018-04-02

    Abstract: A lidar system operating in a vehicle comprising a first eye configured to scan a first field of regard and a second eye configured to scan a second field of regard. Each of the first eye and the second eye includes a respective optical element configured to output a beam of light, a respective scan mirror configured to scan the beam of light along a vertical dimension of the respective field of regard, and a respective receiver configured to detect scattered light from the beam of light. The field of regard of the lidar system includes the first field of regard and the second field of regard, combined along a horizontal dimension of the first field of regard and the second field of regard.

    Protecting Detector in a Lidar System Using Off-Axis Illumination

    公开(公告)号:US20180284242A1

    公开(公告)日:2018-10-04

    申请号:US15713192

    申请日:2017-09-22

    Abstract: A lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light, a scanner configured to direct the pulses of light along a scan direction, and a receiver with a detector configured to detect the pulses of light scattered by remote targets. For a pulse of light emitted by the light source, the receiver is configured to detect the scattered pulse of light returning to the receiver during a ranging time interval between (i) when the pulse of light leaves the lidar system and (ii) when the scattered pulse of light returns from a remote target positioned at a maximum distance RMAX. For at least a portion of the ranging time interval, the lidar system directs the scattered pulse of light toward the active region of the detector at an oblique angle to reduce an amount of light impinging on the active region.

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