公开(公告)号：US20220291353A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-15

申请号：US17752954

申请日：2022-05-25

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G02B26/10

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 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. The scanner also includes a second scanning mirror configured to distribute the scan lines along a second scan axis, where the scan lines are distributed within the adjustable field of regard according to an adjustable second-axis scan profile that includes a minimum scan angle along the second scan axis, a maximum scan angle along the second scan axis, and a scan-line distribution.

公开(公告)号：US11415677B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-16

申请号：US16389362

申请日：2019-04-19

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

IPC: G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/931

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：US11353559B2

公开(公告)日：2022-06-07

申请号：US16155243

申请日：2018-10-09

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G02B26/10 ,  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 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.

公开(公告)号：US20230333247A1

公开(公告)日：2023-10-19

申请号：US18101824

申请日：2023-01-26

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

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

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

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：US11686821B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-27

申请号：US16390923

申请日：2019-04-22

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G01S7/487 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/4865

CPC classification number: G01S7/4815 ,  G01S7/487 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G01S17/931

Abstract: A system includes a first lidar sensor and a second lidar sensor, where each lidar sensor includes a scanner configured to direct a set of pulses of light along a scan pattern and a receiver configured to detect scattered light from the set of light pulses. The scan patterns are at least partially overlapped in an overlap region. The system further includes an enclosure, where the first lidar sensor and the second lidar sensor are contained within the enclosure. Each scanner includes one or more mirrors, and each mirror is driven by a scan mechanism.

公开(公告)号：US11022688B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-01

申请号：US15943467

申请日：2018-04-02

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

IPC: G01S17/10 ,  G02B27/09 ,  G01S17/08 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/87 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/36

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.

公开(公告)号：US11567200B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-31

申请号：US16879091

申请日：2020-05-20

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

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

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：US11378666B2

公开(公告)日：2022-07-05

申请号：US16861696

申请日：2020-04-29

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

IPC: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S17/42

Abstract: A lidar system includes a light source, a scanner, and a receiver and is configured to detect remote targets located up to RMAX meters away. The receiver includes a detector with a field of view larger than the light-source field of view. The scanner causes the detector field of view to move relative to the instantaneous light-source field of view along the scan direction, so that (i) when a pulse of light is emitted, the instantaneous light-source field of view is approximately centered within the detector field of view, and (ii) when a scattered pulse of light returns from a target located RMAX meters away, the instantaneous light-source field of view is located near an edge of the field of view of the detector and is contained within the field of view of the detector.