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：US10267899B2

公开(公告)日：2019-04-23

申请号：US15876662

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

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/93

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：US10241198B2

公开(公告)日：2019-03-26

申请号：US15828195

申请日：2017-11-30

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Rodger W. Cleye ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: A method for calibrating lidar systems operating in vehicles includes detecting a triggering event, causing the lidar system to not emit light during a calibration period, determining an amount of noise measured by the lidar system during the calibration period, generating a noise level metric based on the amount of noise detected during the calibration period, and adjusting subsequent readings of the lidar system using the noise level metric. The adjusting includes measuring energy levels of return light pulses emitted from the lidar system and scattered by targets and offsetting the measured energy levels by the noise level metric.

公开(公告)号：US20180284231A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-04

申请号：US15861147

申请日：2018-01-03

Applicant: Luminar Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Austin K. Russell ,  Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S7/489 ,  G01S17/10

CPC classification number: G01S7/489 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: To decrease the likelihood of a false detection when detecting light from light pulses scattered by remote targets in a lidar system, a receiver in the lidar system includes a photodetector and a pulse-detection circuit having a gain circuit with a varying amount of gain over time. The gain circuit operates in a low-gain mode for a time period T1 beginning with time t0 when a light pulse is emitted to prevent the receiver from detecting return light pulses during the threshold time period T1. Upon expiration of the threshold time period T1, the gain circuit operates in a high-gain mode to begin detecting return light pulses until a subsequent light pulse is emitted.

公开(公告)号：US20180284224A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-04

申请号：US15876662

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

IPC: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S17/10

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：US10061019B1

公开(公告)日：2018-08-28

申请号：US15728950

申请日：2017-10-10

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S3/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/93 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/484

CPC classification number: G01S7/4811 ,  G01S7/4814 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/936

Abstract: To detect return light pulses in a lidar system when scanning in the forward-scanning and reverse-scanning directions, a light source may transmit first light pulses having a first wavelength when scanning in the forward-scanning direction and may transmit second light pulses having a second wavelength when scanning in the reverse-scanning direction. A diffractive optical element (DOE) is configured to deflect the two wavelengths in opposite directions, so that light pulses are transmitted ahead of the field of view of the detector in the scanning direction of the lidar system. A controller may determine the scanning direction of a scanner in the lidar system and transmit a control signal to a light source indicative of a wavelength that corresponds to the scanning direction. The light source may then transmit light pulses at the requested wavelength.

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：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：US20190154836A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-23

申请号：US15965197

申请日：2018-04-27

Applicant: LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Scott R. Campbell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Austin K. Russell ,  John G. Hughes

IPC: G01S17/93 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S17/89

Abstract: A lidar system comprises a light source configured to emit light, a scanner configured to direct the emitted light to scan a field of regard of the lidar system in accordance with a scan pattern, a receiver configured to detect the light scattered by one or more remote targets, and a controller configured to control motion of at least the second mirror to modify the scan pattern. The scanner includes a rotatable polygon mirror having a block having a first wall, a second wall, and reflective surfaces extending between the first and second walls, the reflective surfaces being angularly offset from one another along a periphery of the block. The scanner also includes a polygon mirror axle extending into the block through at least one of the first and second walls, about which the block rotates, and a second mirror pivotable along an axis orthogonal to the polygon mirror axle.