A system comprises a wavelength-tunable light source and a controller. The controller is configured to cause attenuation of a light being generated by the wavelength-tunable light source during a transition period between a first wavelength to a second wavelength, cause the wavelength-tunable light source to change a wavelength of the light being generated by the wavelength-tunable light source from the first wavelength to the second wavelength, and allow a pulse of the light associated with the second wavelength to be emitted during a pulse period after the transition period.
An imaging system is described for generating an estimate for a virtual horizon for a moving vehicle. The estimate is based on a lidar point cloud and on pitch rate data from a gyroscope. The lidar point cloud data estimates the horizon based on lidar scans that are updated at a first rate. The gyroscope data is updated at a second rate that is faster than the first rate and therefore can be used to augment the point cloud-based horizon estimation to produce a more accurate horizon estimation when the vehicle is pitching at a high rate. The gyroscope data can also be used to correct individual point clouds, which may be distorted if the vehicle is pitching or rolling during an individual scan.
A system comprises a light source, a scanner, a first detector, a second detector, and a processor. The light source is configured to emit light and the scanner is configured to scan the emitted light across a field of view through a window. The first detector is configured to detect at least a portion of the emitted light scattered by a target located downrange from the system and the second detector is configured to detect at least a portion of the emitted light scattered by a blocking contaminant on the window. The processor is configured to analyze detected information from the second detector to provide an indication associated with detecting the blocking contaminant on the window.
In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source, a receiver, and a controller. The light source is configured to emit an optical signal. The receiver is configured to detect a received optical signal that includes a portion of the emitted optical signal that is scattered by a surface of a target located a distance from the lidar system, where the surface is oriented at an angle of incidence with respect to the emitted optical signal. The receiver is further configured to produce an electrical signal corresponding to the received optical signal. The controller is configured to determine, based on the electrical signal, the angle of incidence of the surface of the target.
G01S 7/48 - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Details of systems according to groups , , of systems according to group
G01S 7/481 - Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements
G01S 7/4865 - Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak
G01S 17/10 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves
G01S 17/34 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
G01S 17/42 - Simultaneous measurement of distance and other coordinates
G01S 17/931 - Lidar systems, specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
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.
An imaging system is described for generating an estimate for the virtual horizon for a moving vehicle. The estimate of the virtual horizon can correspond to lower and higher boundaries of a region within the field of regard, such that the virtual horizon is between the lower and the higher boundaries. In cases where determination of the virtual horizon may be unreliable due to traffic, weather or other road conditions that obscure the visibility in front of the vehicle the imaging system may switch to a static vertical scan density pattern having a broad central focus, which can mitigate the possibility that the system focuses on an incorrect virtual horizon and fails to capture significant objects or conditions in the roadway.
In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light includes a spectral signature of multiple different spectral signatures. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including light from one of the emitted pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The emitted pulse of light includes one of the spectral signatures. The receiver includes a detector configured to produce a photocurrent signal corresponding to the received pulse of light, a frequency-detection circuit configured to determine, based on the photocurrent signal, a spectral signature of the received pulse of light, and a pulse-detection circuit configured to determine, based on the photocurrent signal, a time-of-arrival of the received pulse of light.
G01S 17/26 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves wherein the transmitted pulses use a frequency-modulated or phase-modulated carrier wave, e.g. for pulse compression of received signals
G01S 7/48 - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Details of systems according to groups , , of systems according to group
A system includes a light source, a receiver, and an enclosure (600). The light source emits an optical signal and the receiver detects a received optical signal including at least a portion of the emitted optical signal scattered by an external target. The enclosure (600) includes a housing (610) and a semiconductor window (620) including semiconductor material (621), conductive coating (640), and anti-reflection, AR, coating (660). The semiconductor window (620) includes a semiconductor material to allow at least a portion of the emitted optical signal and the received optical signal to pass through the semiconductor window (620). The enclosure (600), including the housing (610) and the semiconductor window (620), is configured to attenuate radio-frequency, RF, electromagnetic radiation. Window (620) is affixed to housing (610) using conductive epoxy (650). Conductive epoxy (650) is an electrically conductive epoxy or adhesive used to affix window (620) to housing (610). It provides at least an electrical coupling between window (620) and housing (610). Using a semiconductor window, a lidar system can have significantly improved electromagnetic interference, EMI, properties while maintaining good optical transmission properties for transmitting and receiving light beams. In an embodiment, window (620) includes a heating element. The heating functionality allows semiconductor material (621) to melt obstructions such as frozen water on or near the external-facing surface of the associated enclosure, such as an enclosure for a lidar system.
A system includes a light source, an optical splitter, and a pulse-energy measurement circuit. The light source is configured to generate an emitted beam of light that includes an emitted pulse of light. The optical splitter is configured to split the emitted beam of light to produce at least (i) a test beam of light that includes a test pulse of light, the test pulse of light including a first portion of the emitted pulse of light and (ii) an output beam of light that includes an output pulse of light, the output pulse of light including a second portion of the emitted pulse of light allowed to at least in part exit the system. The pulse-energy measurement circuit is configured to receive the test pulse of light and determine a numerical value corresponding to an individual energy amount of the test pulse of light.
An optical receiver including an ASIC, a light detector element, and a protective mask is disclosed. The light detector element is disposed on the ASIC and has a top surface oriented toward incident light, the top surface including a portion configured to receive the incident light and via which the incident light reaches an active area of the light detector element. The protective mask is placed over the ASIC so as to (i) cover, from the incident light, a portion of the ASIC, and (ii) provide an aperture that defines an optical path for the incident light through the protective mask to the portion of the top surface of the light detector element.
In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit (i) local-oscillator light and (ii) pulses of light. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator light and a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including a portion of one of the emitted pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The receiver includes a detector configured to produce a photocurrent signal corresponding to a coherent mixing of the local-oscillator light and the received pulse of light. The detector includes a first input side and a second input side located opposite the first input side, where the received pulse of light is incident on the first input side of the detector, and the local-oscillator light is incident on the second input side of the detector.
G01S 7/4863 - Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates
G01S 7/4865 - Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak
G01S 17/10 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves
G01S 17/894 - 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
H01L 31/105 - Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by only one potential barrier or surface barrier the potential barrier being of the PIN type
H01L 31/107 - Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by only one potential barrier or surface barrier the potential barrier working in avalanche mode, e.g. avalanche photodiode
H01L 31/109 - Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation characterised by only one potential barrier or surface barrier the potential barrier being of the PN heterojunction type
A receiver of a lidar system configured to receive one or more scattered light pulses from a target in a field of regard of the lidar system. The receiver includes a detector that emits an electric signal representative of the received light pulse in response to detecting the received light pulse. The receiver further includes one or more analog circuits configured to receive the electric signal from the detector, sample one or more voltages of the electric signal, and determine the energy of the received light pulse based at least on the one or more sampled voltages. The lidar system may further calculate a reflectivity and/or other characteristics of the target based at least on the energy of the received light pulse.
G01S 7/48 - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Details of systems according to groups , , of systems according to group
G01S 7/4861 - Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out
G01S 7/4865 - Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak
A system comprises at a first interface, a first optical guide, a second interface, and a second optical guide. A portion of the first interface is configured to receive a first pulse of light emitted by a lidar device and a portion of the second interface is configured to receive a second pulse of light emitted by the lidar device. The first optical guide is configured to propagate the received first pulse of light, wherein at least a portion of the first interface is configured to emit towards the lidar device a version of the received first pulse that propagated through the first optical guide. The second optical guide is configured to propagate the received second pulse of light, wherein at least a portion of the second interface is configured to emit towards the lidar device a version of the received second pulse that propagated through the second optical guide.
A system includes a signal transmitter configured to emit a signal pulse and a signal receiver configured to receive one or more reflected pulses of the emitted signal pulse, wherein the signal receiver includes a plurality of comparators configured to sample the one or more reflected pulses at different intensity threshold levels to determine a group of slices representative of the received one or more reflected pulses, wherein each slice of at least a portion of the group of slices identifies a corresponding timing of when at least a portion of the received one or more reflected pulses met a corresponding intensity threshold level. The system further includes one or more processors configured to use the determined slices to reconstruct the one or more reflected pulses.
In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit (i) local-oscillator light and (ii) pulses of light, where each emitted pulse of light is coherent with a corresponding temporal portion of the local-oscillator light. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator light and a received pulse of light, the received pulse of light including a portion of one of the emitted pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The receiver includes a detector configured to produce a photocurrent signal corresponding to the local-oscillator light and the received pulse of light. The photocurrent signal includes a sum of a first term, a second term, and a third term.
G01S 17/10 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves
H01S 5/062 - Arrangements for controlling the laser output parameters, e.g. by operating on the active medium by varying the potential of the electrodes
H01S 5/50 - Amplifier structures not provided for in groups
G01S 7/481 - Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements
G01S 17/32 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated
H01S 5/0625 - Arrangements for controlling the laser output parameters, e.g. by operating on the active medium by varying the potential of the electrodes in multi-section lasers
G01S 17/89 - Lidar systems, specially adapted for specific applications for mapping or imaging
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.
G01S 7/481 - Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements
G01S 17/10 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of interrupted, pulse-modulated waves
G01S 7/4865 - Time delay measurement, e.g. time-of-flight measurement, time of arrival measurement or determining the exact position of a peak
H01S 5/30 - Structure or shape of the active region; Materials used for the active region
H01S 3/23 - Arrangement of two or more lasers not provided for in groups , e.g. tandem arrangement of separate active media
H01S 5/062 - Arrangements for controlling the laser output parameters, e.g. by operating on the active medium by varying the potential of the electrodes
17.
GENERATING LIDAR SCAN PATTERNS USING REINFORCEMENT MACHINE LEARNING
A method for determining a scan pattern according to which a sensor equipped with a scanner scans a field of regard (FOR) is presented. The method comprises obtaining, by processing hardware, a plurality of objective functions, each of the objective functions specifying a cost for a respective property of the scan pattern, expressed in terms of one or more operational parameters of the scanner. The method further includes applying, by the processing hardware, an optimization scheme to the plurality of objective functions to generate the scan pattern. The method further includes scanning the FOR according to the generated scan pattern.
A scanning imaging sensor is configured to sense an environment through which a vehicle is moving. A method for determining one or velocities associated with objects in the environment includes generating features from the first set of scan lines and the second set of scan lines, the two sets corresponding to two instances in time. The method further includes generating a collection of candidate velocities based on feature locations and time differences, the features selected pairwise with one from the first set and another from the second set. Furthermore, the method includes analyzing the distribution of candidate velocities, for example, by identifying one or more modes from the collection of the candidate velocities.
G01S 7/48 - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Details of systems according to groups , , of systems according to group
G01S 17/58 - Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
G01S 17/931 - Lidar systems, specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
G01S 13/42 - Simultaneous measurement of distance and other coordinates
G01S 13/58 - Velocity or trajectory determination systems; Sense-of-movement determination systems
G01S 13/931 - Radar or analogous systems, specially adapted for specific applications for anti-collision purposes of land vehicles
G01S 17/42 - Simultaneous measurement of distance and other coordinates
A scanner for a lidar system configured to direct emitted light to scan a field of regard of the lidar system includes a mirror and an actuator assembly. The mirror includes a first end, a second end, and a reflective surface and is pivotable along a mirror axle. The actuator assembly is disposed at the first end of the mirror and includes an asymmetric motor configured to exert a torque on the mirror to cause the mirror to pivot about the mirror axle.
A lidar system includes a light source to emit an optical signal and a receiver to detect an input optical signal (135) that includes a portion of the emitted optical signal scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The receiver includes an avalanche photodiode (APD 400) to receive the input optical signal (135) and produce a photocurrent signal corresponding to the input optical signal. The APD (400) includes a multiplication region (450) that includes a digital- alloy region that includes two or more semiconductor alloy materials arranged in successive layers. The digital-alloy region produces at least a portion of the photocurrent signal by impact ionization. The receiver determines, based on the photocurrent signal produced by the APD (400), a round-trip time for the portion of the emitted optical signal to travel to the target and back to the lidar system. A digital alloy may include three components (ternary digital alloy) or four components (quaternary digital alloy), two or more semiconductor alloy materials being arranged in successive layers in a repeating or non-repeating pattern. The APD (400) may comprise an absorption region (430) to absorb at least a portion of the input optical signal (135) and produce electronic carriers corresponding to the absorbed portion thereof. The multiplication region (450) receives a portion of photogenerated electronic carriers produced in the absorption region (430). As a result, the APD (400) may operate with a lower excess noise factor or with a higher gain.
In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit an optical signal and a receiver that includes one or more detectors configured to detect a portion of the emitted optical signal scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The lidar system also includes a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) that includes an input optical element configured to receive the portion of the scattered optical signal and couple the portion of the scattered optical signal into an input optical waveguide. The input optical waveguide is one of one or more optical waveguides of the PIC configured to convey the portion of the scattered optical signal to the one or more detectors of the receiver. The lidar system further includes a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target.
G01S 17/34 - Systems determining position data of a target for measuring distance only using transmission of continuous waves, whether amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated, or unmodulated using transmission of continuous, frequency-modulated waves while heterodyning the received signal, or a signal derived therefrom, with a locally-generated signal related to the contemporaneously transmitted signal
22.
LIDAR SYSTEM WITH PULSED AND FREQUENCY-MODULATED LIGHT
In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit an output optical signal and a local-oscillator optical signal. The output optical signal includes (i) pulses of light and (ii) frequency-modulated (FM) output-light signals, where each pair of consecutive pulses of light is separated in time by one or more of the FM output-light signals. The local-oscillator optical signal includes FM local-oscillator light signals corresponding to the FM output-light signals. The lidar system also includes a receiver configured to detect the local-oscillator optical signal and an input optical signal. The input optical signal includes (i) a received pulse of light that includes a portion of one of the emitted pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system and (ii) a received FM light signal that includes a portion of one of the FM output-light signals scattered by the target.
G01S 7/483 - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Details of systems according to groups , , of systems according to group - Details of pulse systems
G01S 7/491 - RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - Details of systems according to groups , , of systems according to group - Details of non-pulse systems
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.
A method for multi-object tracking includes receiving a sequence of images generated at respective times by one or more sensors configured to sense an environment through which objects are moving relative to the one or more sensors, and constructing a message passing graph in which each of a multiplicity of layers corresponds to a respective one in the sequence of images. The method also includes tracking multiple features through the sequence of images, including passing messages in a forward direction and a backward direction through the message passing graph to share information across time.
A method for tracking a lane on a road is presented. The method comprises receiving, by one or more processors from an imaging system, a set of pixels associated with lane markings. The method further includes generating, by the one or more processors, a predicted spline comprising (i) a first spline and (ii) a predicted extension of the first spline in a direction in which the imaging system is moving. The first spline describes a boundary of a lane and is generated based on the set of pixels. The predicted extension of the first spline is generated based at least in part on a curvature of at least a portion of the first spline.
patents
