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：US20220390572A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17883722

申请日：2022-08-09

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

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

IPC: G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S17/26 ,  G01S17/931

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light. The emitted pulses of light include one or more series of standard-resolution pulses alternating with one or more series of high-resolution pulses. Each series of the standard-resolution pulses includes multiple pulses having a standard pulse period, and each series of the high-resolution pulses includes multiple pulses having a high-resolution pulse period. The standard pulse period is greater than or equal to a round-trip time associated with a maximum range of the lidar system, and the high-resolution pulse period is less than the standard pulse period. The lidar system also includes a scanner configured to scan at least a portion of the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard.

公开(公告)号：US20220291360A1

公开(公告)日：2022-09-15

申请号：US17825302

申请日：2022-05-26

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

Inventor： Austin K. Russell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Laurance S. Lingvay

IPC: G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/58 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/484

Abstract: To dynamically control power in a lidar system, a controller identifies a triggering event and provides a control signal to a light source in the lidar system adjusting the power of light pulses provided by the light source. Triggering events may include exceeding a threshold speed, being within a threshold distance of a person or other object, an atmospheric condition, identifying residue on a surface of a window of the lidar system, etc. In some scenarios, the power is adjusted to address eye-safety concerns.

公开(公告)号：US20220236417A1

公开(公告)日：2022-07-28

申请号：US17584860

申请日：2022-01-26

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Roger S. Cannon ,  Stephen D. Gaalema

IPC: G01S17/32 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S7/4865

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a multi junction light source configured to emit an optical signal. The multi junction light source includes a seed laser diode configured to produce a seed optical signal and a multi junction semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) configured to amplify the seed optical signal to produce the emitted optical signal. 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 based on a round-trip time for the portion of the scattered optical signal to travel from the lidar system to the target and back to the lidar system.

公开(公告)号：US20210356601A1

公开(公告)日：2021-11-18

申请号：US17318594

申请日：2021-05-12

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

Inventor： Istvan Peter Burbank ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Jason Paul Wojack ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01S17/931 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light and a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light along a high-resolution scan pattern located within a field of regard of the lidar system. The scanner includes one or more scan mirrors configured to (i) scan the emitted pulses of light along a first scan axis to produce multiple scan lines of the high-resolution scan pattern, where each scan line is associated with multiple pixels, each pixel corresponding to one of the emitted pulses of light and (ii) distribute the scan lines along a second scan axis to produce the high-resolution scan pattern, where the high-resolution scan pattern includes locally retraced scan lines.

公开(公告)号：US11022689B2

公开(公告)日：2021-06-01

申请号：US15804997

申请日：2017-11-06

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

Inventor： Alain Villeneuve ,  Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Jason M. Eichenholz

IPC: G01C3/08 ,  G01S17/14 ,  G01S17/42 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/4863 ,  G01S17/89 ,  G01S7/4861 ,  G01S17/26 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S17/08 ,  H01S3/067 ,  H01S3/08 ,  H01S3/094 ,  H01S3/0941 ,  H01S3/10 ,  H01S3/11 ,  H01S5/40 ,  G01S7/4865 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S7/483 ,  G01S17/02 ,  H01S3/00 ,  G01S17/00 ,  G01S17/06 ,  G01S17/88 ,  G01S7/487 ,  H01S5/00 ,  H01S3/23 ,  H01S3/16 ,  G01S17/32

Abstract: A lidar system comprising with a light source, an optical link, and a sensor head. The light source can include a seed laser to produce pulses of light and an optical preamplifier to amplify the pulses of light. The optical link can convey amplified pulses of light to the sensor head remotely located from the light source. The sensor head can include an optical booster amplifier, a scanner to scan amplified output pulses of light across a field of regard, and a receiver to detect pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the sensor head.

公开(公告)号：US20230213628A1

公开(公告)日：2023-07-06

申请号：US18093041

申请日：2023-01-04

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

Inventor： Joseph G. LaChapelle ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Roger S. Cannon ,  Stephen D. Gaalema ,  William R. Clark ,  Alex Michael Sincore

IPC: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/481 ,  G01S17/894

CPC classification number: G01S7/4865 ,  G01S7/4817 ,  G01S7/4816 ,  G01S17/894 ,  G01S7/4814

Abstract: In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light and a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard of the lidar system. The scanner includes (i) a beam deflector configured to direct each emitted pulse of light along a first scan axis and (ii) a scan mirror configured to scan the emitted pulses of light along a second scan axis different from the first scan axis. The lidar system also includes a receiver that includes a one-dimensional detector array that includes multiple detector elements arranged along a direction corresponding to the first scan axis. The receiver is configured to (i) detect a received pulse of light that includes a portion of one of the emitted pulses of light scattered by a target and (ii) determine a time of arrival of the received pulse of light.

公开(公告)号：US11346925B2

公开(公告)日：2022-05-31

申请号：US16170601

申请日：2018-10-25

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

Inventor： Austin K. Russell ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Laurance S. Lingvay

IPC: G01S7/497 ,  G01S17/58 ,  G01S7/486 ,  G01S7/484 ,  G01S7/48 ,  G01S17/931 ,  G01S13/931

Abstract: To dynamically control power in a lidar system, a controller identifies a triggering event and provides a control signal to a light source in the lidar system adjusting the power of light pulses provided by the light pulse. Triggering events may include exceeding a threshold speed, being within a threshold distance of a person or other object, an atmospheric condition, etc. In some scenarios, the power is adjusted to address eye-safety concerns.

公开(公告)号：US20220082702A1

公开(公告)日：2022-03-17

申请号：US17535174

申请日：2021-11-24

Applicant: Luminar, LLC

Inventor： Istvan Peter Burbank ,  Matthew D. Weed ,  Jason Paul Wojack ,  Jason M. Eichenholz ,  Dmytro Trofymov

IPC: G01S17/931 ,  B60W60/00 ,  G01S7/481 ,  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 the emitted pulses of light along a high-resolution scan pattern located within a field of regard of the lidar system. The scanner includes one or more scan mirrors configured to (i) scan the emitted pulses of light along a first scan axis to produce multiple scan lines of the high-resolution scan pattern, where each scan line is associated with multiple pixels, each pixel corresponding to one of the emitted pulses of light and (ii) distribute the scan lines of the high-resolution scan pattern along a second scan axis. The high-resolution scan pattern includes one or more of: interlaced scan lines and interlaced pixels.

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.