Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and vehicles that facilitate a light detection and ranging (LIDAR or lidar) system that may take advantage of "dead angles" where the lidar system is oriented toward support structure or another "uninteresting" feature. In such scenarios, light pulses may be redirected toward more-interesting features in the environment. An example system includes a lidar system configured to emit light pulses into an environment of the system so as to provide information indicative of objects within a default field of view. The system also includes a reflective surface optically coupled to the lidar system. The reflective surface is configured to reflect at least a portion of the emitted light pulses so as to provide an extended field of view. The lidar system is further configured to provide information indicative of objects within the extended field of view.
Abstract:
An active illumination apparatus includes an emission source configured to illuminate a field of view. The emission source includes one or more emitter elements, and is configured to output optical signals having respective wavelengths that vary based on respective portions of the field of view to be illuminated thereby. The respective wavelengths of the optical signals may vary over respective field angles of the field of view according to variations in optical characteristics of a detection module, such as a passband of a detector- side spectral filter element, for the respective field angles. Related imaging apparatus and methods are also discussed.
Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods operable to provide point cloud information about an environment based on reconfigurable spatial light emission patterns and reconfigurable light detector arrangements that correspond to the light emission patterns. Additionally, a LIDAR device with a plurality of light emitters and photodetectors may be operated in a first mode of operation or a second mode of operation. The first mode of operation could be a normal mode of operation. The second mode of operation could be a failsafe mode of operation that is used when a fault condition is detected.
Abstract:
Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zur Bereitstellung eines Detektionssignals für zu detektierende Objekte (70), wobei zwei erste Photonenpakete (4, 5) unterschiedlicher Wellenlänge (λ1, λ2) mit verschränkten Photonenpaaren erzeugt werden und wobei Photonen eines der ersten Photonenpakete (4, λ1) auf ein Objekt (70) ausgesendet werden wobei das vom Objekt (70) reflektierte Photonenpaket (λ1) dann mittels Quantenverschränkung mit dem zweiten ersten Photonenpaket (5, λ2) wechselwirkt und wobei das Detektionssignal basierend auf der Zeitdifferenz von Aussendung des ersten Photonenpakets (4, λ1) auf das Objekt (70) und Detektion einer Wechselwirkung zwischen den beiden Photonenpaketen (λ1, λ2) erzeugt wird.
Abstract:
A system and method for providing a dynamic region of interest in a lidar system can include scanning a light beam over a field of view to capture a first lidar image, identifying a first object within the captured first lidar image, selecting a first region of interest within the field of view that contains at least a portion of the identified first object, and capturing a second lidar image, where capturing the second lidar image includes scanning the light beam over the first region of interest at a first spatial sampling resolution, and scanning the light beam over the field of view outside of the first region of interest at a second spatial sampling resolution, wherein the second sampling resolution is different the first spatial sampling resolution.
Abstract:
We disclose a lidar system, that includes a modulator-based probe-light generator and a coherent optical receiver. The probe-light generator uses tunable carrier-suppressed single-sideband modulation to generate frequency-chirped optical pulses for the optical-probe beam directed at the target. The coherent optical receiver uses a homodyne detection scheme in which a split portion of the optical-probe beam is used as an optical local oscillator signal for detecting a corresponding optical beam reflected by the target. The resulting electrical RF signals generated by the receiver can be processed, e.g., using a disclosed signal-processing method, to determine one or both of the distance to the target and the velocity of the target.
Abstract:
An FM LIDAR system is described that includes a frequency modulated LIDAR system that incorporates a laser source that is optically coupled to a whispering gallery mode optical resonator. Light from the laser that is coupled into the whispering gallery mode optical resonator is coupled back out as a returning counterpropagating wave having a frequency characteristic of a whispering gallery mode of the optical resonator. This returning wave is used to reduce the linewidth of the source laser by optical injection. Modulation of the optical properties of the whispering gallery mode optical resonator results in modulation of the frequency of the frequencies supported by whispering gallery modes of the resonator, and provides a method for producing highly linear and reproducible optical chirps that are highly suited for use in a LIDAR system. Methods of using such an FM LIDAR system and vehicle assisting systems that incorporate such FM LIDAR systems are also described.